Everything Has Changed
by FlorenceHerondale
Summary: Julie Carstairs is back to New York, and this time she is facing a horror greater than the automatons. She must fight this time to continue the Shadownhunter race and her own bloodline. It will bring back unpleasant memories, but she have to do what she have to do before brother kills brother and Idris burns down to ashes. PS I do not own any of the characters except for OC
1. Prologue

**Hi and I'm back. **

**I had written this story a while ago, before Silver Angel's Sister started. I was thinking of doing the prequel first, but obviously it failed. This is actually the story of Julie going to New York in 2008 and meets the characters in the Mortal Instruments. I hope you guys enjoy it :)**

**The title of the story, "Everything Has Changed" is inspired by Taylor Swift and Ed Sheeran's song, which I obviously do not own :/ I also do not owns the characters except for Julie and my OC.**

**Enjoy!**

**Prologue**

Julie Carstairs-Townsend sits cross legged on the bench next to the Hudson River. It's a chilly September evening, and with the large amount of body of water next to her, the wind is rather a chill down the spine. She stands up with a sigh, pulling her light tan color cashmere sweater around herself tighter and smooth down her light-wash denim jeans, which are tugged inside her riding boots. She walks in to the nearest coffee shop, and decided to order a cappuccino with extra milk and some caramel drizzle. After her order is delivered into her hands, she hails a cab towards Brooklyn. She knows she can easily create a Portal, which will probably takes one-fourth of the time inside the foul-smell vehicle, but she is simply not in the mood to do so.

She knows she shouldn't be here, but a sudden urge had pulled her home. Not to Taipei, where the weather is still warm and toasty, nor her birthplace in China, or London, where she grew up. It's not the place or one specific location she felt home to, it's the person, and some certain warlock is all she can go to that reminds her of home. Jem's somewhere in the Bone City, and all her- what she consider "family" are long dead. Actually, the only person other than Magnus that's actually alive, _or rather wanting to communicate with her_- is coincidentally her older brother's former fiancée, whom she hasn't spoken to in about half a decade.

She sips her coffee quietly and stares out at the busy Manhattan street as she remembers the day that had split the traveling partners apart:

_"Going to see Jem?"_

_She can still remember her bed at the London loft, decorated in black and brilliant gold, where she and Tessa had been staying on their apparent "world tour".__The older woman nodded and grabbed her keys and pea coat._

_"I'll be back sometime around afternoon." Her accent never faded- it may sound British, but the hint of American is still clearly audible._

_Julie had not been in a very good mood that morning and she blurted out the question she had been wondering for the past century._

_"Don't you think it's strange that you have a meeting with Jem for the past 130 some years and I never had one?"_

_She can see and feel Tessa freeze, her slender finger on the doorknob, hesitate to turn it.__She slowly turns back, and fixes her gaze on Julie._

_"You were never there." She tries to keep her tone nonchalant and carefree, but Julie, knowing her so well, she notices the effort she puts into that statement._

_She grits her teeth and reply back, this time with a more challenging attitude._

_"I was with you every single year on your "yearly meeting", except for that fire and my aunt's funeral." she put up her hands and air quote the phrases that both Will and Tessa use._

_Tessa had let go of the doorknob, and now leaning on the front door with her arms cross stiffly across her chest and looks at her-practically-little-sister as Julie goes on, babbling of all the things she wanted to say for a really long time._

_"He had meetings with you when Will got stung; he was there when _you_ woke up and screamed his name or what I would rather say, "to cut all the bonds before he became a Silent Brother" he had meetings with you at your pregnancy. He wasn't even there when my children were _born_! Then there's the yearly meeting on his favorite places in the whole world. I always thought he is better than that, and that he loves us the same, that he might think of me once and tries to come back to talk to me. But he never did. And you never tell me what goes on in your meeting, what you guys did, what you guys talk about, or _was I even mention at all_. It was all Jem and I, me and Jem, and I was never included!"_

_She was close to hysteria, and she didn't realize her voice was raised to nearly a scream. She can feel tears stinging her eyes, begging to be release, but her stubborn nature that hates to show other her weakness and vulnerability, just turns the threatening sobs as an attempt to catch her breath._

_Having listening to her confession, she can see and feel Tessa's faces and emotion changes from pure irritation to cold rage. She had never understood why Jem is such a sensitive subject for her, and why she never speaks of him._

_She snapped: "I would've, but you never asked, Jewel. For nearly one and a quarter century, you have an opportunity to ask to come to the meeting with me. Why? I think we both know why? Because you are scared!"_

_She spits the last part of her sentence out, as if it's venom and poisonous. She had used her nickname- the one that she and Magnus barely uses after the early 20th looks at Julie's face, which barely conceal the shock and hurt. Quietly, she slipped out of the apartment, slamming the door behind her. _

_Julie packed everything in less than half an hour with magic's help. She dragged her black suitcases- even with her gloomy mood, she is proud of its Swarovski crystal embroiders, where she and Magnus had placed and glue there one evening, both insisting not to let magic get in the way._

_She got to the airport, and with the fast ticket providing machine, got the first ticket that is available._

_The plane took her to LAX, and her argument with Tessa is soon forgotten. Cordelia Townsend's here- one of her grand- to the few exponents- granddaughter. She always finds it ironic and funny. The last Cordelia she knew- her last name was Carstairs, making her Julie's cousin. Apparently the name Cordelia is bond to her, and that the Shadownhunters these days enjoy naming their children after their ancestors. She wonders if there's a Theresa or Julie somewhere._

_She spends the next four years wondering around the state of California. Going to the site of the 49 Gold Rush, visiting all the historical places that are younger than she is. But mostly she is just around the Los Angeles Institute, watching Will and Tessa's descends, who has Tessa's brown hair and Lucie's blue green eyes, the Blackthorns. _

_For god's sake, there are eight of them: the father, Andrew Blackthorn, with his seven children. The oldest one is turning 17, and he struck Julie oddly- siblings' resemblance is one of the subjects she had focused on in her long lifetime, and he looks exactly just like the male version of his sister, Helen. They are both blond, unlike the rest of the Blackthorn children with their soft brown locks. There's also a gene mutant, Tiberius- with black eyes and black hair._

_She also watches Emma. Emma Carstairs has a head of blond hair and warm brown eyes. Perfect combination of Carstairs and Townsend she is, with the beautiful golden hair of Carstairs- which is possessed in most of the Townsend due to her blond gene and Connor's locks. She cheered when she saw her brown eyes, the same shade of molten chocolate as her own. She just turned 12- and Julie can see herself in the girl. Brave, almost reckless- and protective. __  
_  
And now she's back in New York, where she knows Magnus is resident. She heard rumors that he had found himself a partner in life, and she is ready to make his life hell by making fun of it.

Now they had gone into Brooklyn, Julie sips the last bits of her coffee and fiddle with her bracelet. It had been an engagement gift from Connor. Her throat tightens at the thought of her deceased husband. He was- is- the love of her life, and unlike Tessa, whom had two great loves in his life, she only have one- but she isn't going to complain. She loved him more than anything.

She gave her the bracelet on her 16th birthday, the day he proposes to her. He had also given her his family ring, which is hung on a silver chain around her neck, neither of them ever taken apart from her waist and neck along with her Carstairs ring.

The bracelet is nothing like Tessa's. It's a bangle, rather. It has a circular ruby hanging from it- her birthstone. There's also a golden tag next to it, which makes the musical sound of medal meets stone whenever she moves. On the pendent is one simple word: lumière. She knows it by heart the meaning: light in French, Connor's first language, and beneath it is her initial: J.T. in scripted. Julie Townsend.

Magnus had offered to charm it with protection spell and magic - the same way he did to Camille, or rather Cecily's necklace- to act as a Sensor. She had refused. It's a reminder of her love. A reminder of what her life should be without the demon blood. The way if Yanluo hasn't slanged her parents and she is just another Shadowhunter: mortal.

Suddenly the taxi screeched to a stop. A familiar building came into view: Magnus's apartment. Julie paid the driver his pay and a considerable amount of tips, then climbs out of the car with her empty coffee cup.

She gets into the lobby; where you are suppose to ring the doorbell to the desired house. She stands there for two seconds, hesitating on ringing the doorbell. She doubts he knows she's here. Yes, she had send her luggage to the New York Institute, but she doubt he has any idea whose is it, even if he had coincidentally "swing" by.

Her mischief ran over her moral, and she takes out her stele - slim and warm in her hand, and begins to draw.

**So here is the Prologue! Loved it? Hated it? Please let me know!**

**I promise I will update quickly because I will be getting my new computer tomorrow *spin with flowers***

**Until then!**

**xoxo, Flora**


	2. Chapter 1

**Hi everyone!**

**Sorry for the late update! This chapter was done a long time ago, but I just got my new laptop and I'm currently transferring everything.**

**Happy reading! Enjoy!**

**BTW I think I need to make the chapters longer. Any thoughts?**

**Chapter 1**

Julie has satisfying smile on her face as the thick glass door swings open easily under her burning black rune.

She puts her stele back to her back pocket. She loves her stele. Will got it for her the day she received her Voyance rune. It is mostly _adamas_ with a pale gold handle. Unlike most steles, hers is thin-like a pencil. She often imagine herself as an artist when she works on a rune, even though she is horrible at drawing-either sketching, or painting in general. The most important part of the stele is the tiny jades that are put on the handle. They are definitely real jade, and Will got it for that reason-the jades, which originates from China.

Some people finds Will intimidating, especially before he realizes his curse was a cruel joke. But Julie finds him a better older brother figure than Jem ever was-protective yet nourishing. She misses him all the time and she couldn't imagine the pain Tessa has gone through his death.

Her leather boots-clad feet carries her to the familiar ebony door of Magnus' loft. Her moral tells her the consequence if she doesn't knock now. Likely she will walk into a naked Magnus, and even worse, maybe of his make out session with his "partner".

She decides against all her respects towards her friend and starts to draw another opening rune, this time on Magnus' front door. As the door swings open with a slight screech, a gray and white fur ball ran and hides under the sofa. She frowns at the interior design of the living room. Light orange wall, sparkling orange couch. She detests orange-don't know why, she just hates it.

She assumed Magnus was in the bedroom, and that's where she set off towards. She didn't know what to expect, well maybe Magnus on his bed, snoring, but she didn't get that. She walked in to Magnus kissing a dark hair boy, both shirtless, and Magnus is only in his boxers. Julie yelped out loud, and averted her eyes. She hasn't see males… this exposed for a long time. Honestly, she hasn't been in someone else's bedroom for about two decades.

Her yelp must had been heard, for they had broke away and the dark hair boy reaches for his dagger-which Julie hasn't notice before-on the nightstand besides the bed. As of instinct and training, she reaches for her whip, which is clung tightly to her wrist, the one that doesn't have the bangle. Then she noticed something she hasn't before. His eyes. They are a shade of blue glass. Clear, wide, and full of alert. She knows that color so well. The Herondale siblings had the eyes, and with his black unruly hair, he can pass off as a twin to Will.

Her momentary distraction became an advantage for the young boy. He threw the dagger in his hand, and it is definitely aim straight at Julie's heart. She ducks just as the weapon flies past her head and dig straight at the wall behind her. She lashes out her weapon and aim for his midsection, not wanting to hurt him-yet.

Magnus grabs the whip by his bare hand, wincing as the hard material makes contacts with his bare palm.

"Carstairs, I will throw the furs of my cat onto your sweater if you attack my boyfriend." He warns, and smiling despite himself.

"I didn't _attack_ him; he did. I lashed out the whip as an act of _self defense_." She emphasizes her tone on each word, stating the clear obviousness.

Will-look-a-like finds it necessary to defend himself against the stranger. "I thought she was a burglar."

Before Magnus could reply, Julie snorts and rolls her eyes. "A _burglar_ with a whip? And he, being the High Warlock of Brooklyn with all the glitter, COULDN'T put on a ward?"

The boy actually looks thoughtful. Magnus cleared his throat and regards her with an arch eyebrow.

"Now young lady, would you mind filling me in why in the world would you break into my apartment and disturb me and my boyfriend's quality time?"

The younger boy significantly turns red and looks down and his care feet as if it fascinates him.

"I felt like coming." Her tone is light, but he knows what she means-suddenly Magnus' expression shifts, to almost a soft understanding brother.

There was a moment of silence and finally the younger boy interrupted: "I'm sorry to disturb you two, but may you excuse yourself so we can get dress?"

Julie laugh to herself. She never imagines Magnus would date someone this young and self-conscious, but she does what he asked anyway.

The door slam shut behind her. She then sets off to find the creature she had seen earlier. It wasn't that difficult. It's a kitten-the size of a hamster, curling up on the sofa, looking at her with a curious expression.

She immediately got up to kneel beside the kitty-cat. She had always had a thing with animals-cats especially, and it seems like the feeling is mutual. She was playing peek-a-boo with the fur ball when the bedroom door opens again.

The blue-eyes boy looks irritated, and it seems like he had only thrown on a black T-shirt. On the contrary, Magnus is wearing metallic legging and a shirt with porcupine on it.

She smiles at the memory of porcupine in Thailand, and sits on the sofa with the kitty on top of her lap.

"Chairman Meow likes you." Magnus observes.

"No Sherlock he doesn't." She rolls her eyes and gesture towards the other boy. "Is he a Herondale? Or a Lightwood?" She knows there is no more possibility (According to her heredity studies.)

He immediately bristle "Don't talk to him like I'm not in the room. I'm Alexander Lightwood." As the same time Magnus replies: "Alec's Cecily's."

She was not surprise by the news. Well, besides the fact that Alec had just snapped at her. Usually people find it quite pleasant with her presence.

"How old are you anyway? You look like some teenage girl from Chinatown." Alec wrinkles his nose in distaste.

Julie starts to defend her heritage. "I was told by lots of people I resemble my father more, who was British. And no, I just came from Los Angeles, and I don't think you call someone who's about 135 a teenager."

That got him surprised. "You are immortal? But you opened the door with a rune!" the wilderness in his face is just so naïve that she chuckled.

"Alec I think that's enough. She must be tired and needs rest. I'm guessing she will be returning to the Institute with you."

Realization hits Alec. Hard. Slowly he said: "those luggages are yours."

"Bingo!" She said, clapping her hands together. "Can you imagine someone who can pack 16 luggages with equal fabulousness?"

Magnus burst out laughing and muttered something like "you do me proud." Under his breath.

Alec obviously wasn't satisfy with that, and he grabbed his jacket on the back of the sofa and walks out the door, not even asking Julie to follow him. Julie blowed a kiss at Magnus, which he returns with a wink, then follow the Lightwood boy out of the loft.

He stumped his way to the subway station. Julie wrinkle her brows at the dirty and smelly train cars and asks: "can't we just Portal or hail a taxi?" Alec actually answer this question: "no. What would taxi drivers think when he drops us off in front of an abandon church?"

"A prank?" Julie answered back. Gosh, he's so grumpy.

They found the car train mainly empty, and Julie, already seated, takes out her phone and starts to play a new game. She was about to pass the level when she can't handle his anxiety anymore.

After she earned the three stars award a few seconds later, she locks her phone and turns to Alec, who's seated on her right.

"What's brother you, mini-Will?" She starts, trying to sound smoothing.

"Nothing." He reply quickly, and as if of a second thought, he added with a scowl on his face "have you and Magnus ever dated?"

Julie was startled with the question. She almost burst out laughing when she realize she was on a subway. She stifled the laugh, which turned into a hundred little giggles. "No. He knows I would chop him into a hundred pieces of warlock glitters if he dares to try."

Alec's face just gets more annoyed every seconds, and Julie cleared her throat and says, this time more seriously. "He was more like... A parental figure to me."

With that assurance, Alec physically relaxed. "Then how long have you knew Magnus?"

A lazy Julie didn't even bother to do the arithmetic. "135 subtract 6."

Alec's answer came immediately. "129."

Julie had gone back to her phone, this time checking her notification. "Umm huh."

"Where was Magnus at that time period?" Alec ask, barely conceive the curiosity in his tone.

"You are his boyfriend and he told you nothing about his past?!"she was incredulous. Magnus is never, ever secretive. He was the one who broke down on their first Christmas together and tell what's her present.

Alec shrugged uncomfortably. "He said I don't need to know his past, for that I'm his present."

Julie glances briefly away from her phone and says simply: "we're here."

They got off the subway, and walks in silence until they reach the brisk New York night on the pavement above.

Suddenly Julie sighed. "You remind me of someone. An important someone."

"Who?"

"Will Herondale."

With that, Alec's eyebrows shoot skyward. "My _parabati_'s a Herondale."

"I know. As soon as I heard your name, memories came back. The last time I saw you you were about 7. Your eyes were darker back then."

"Why would you want to check on me? Or were you visiting my parents."

"I would never want to visit your father. Your mother-her action during the Uprising were unforgivable."

The boy opened his mouth to defend his mother. "She was leaded by-"

"Valentine. I know."

"You still haven't tell me why would you want to check on me."

"Do you even know my last name?"

Alec hesitated. "Carstairs?"

Julie grinned. He had been listening all right. "That's my maiden name. And that's just say we are somehow related by blood."

Alec has a confusing expression on his angular face, but she doesn't even bother to answer. They had stop in front of an abandon church. The New York Institute.


	3. Chapter 2

**Sorry sorry sorry for the late update!**

**but you know this is a longer chapter than the others :p**

**BTW I GRADUATED!**

**I promise you guys I will update more frequently!**

**Happy reading!**

**Chapter 2**

The door swings easily under Alec's palm. It opens to a dark corridor, which Julie knows leads to the Infirmary. They got into the elevator, and the old machine carries them to the upper level.

The inside is exactly how she remembers it-chilly and dim. Not much of the dimness now since electricity was invented and witch light is not use to light the corridors and rooms.

When the elevator doors open, Julie's attention weren't at the interior design nor the people in it, but the blue-hair cat on the stares at her with its bright amber eyes, as if it recognize the visitor of the Institute.

Julie blinked once, then twice, then again. The feeling is mutual, and she is positive that she know the cat on the floor. In fact, the cat is only a couple years younger than she is.

She exclaimed. "Church?!" She was so angry when Magnus left London with Church after the Christmas Party of her first year in England. The next time she sees him, he's in Paris. Without the immortal cat. The last time she was in the New York Institute, she was trying hard to keep the Whitelaws alive and to knock down Robert Lightwood. She was choked with sarcastic laughter when she heard that Robert and his wife, Maryse and their little son (A.K.A. Alec) is taking over the Institute, despite the fact that they are part of the pack that killed the original inhabitants.

Church is off the floor when Julie broke off her flashback. She scoop the kitty up to her chest and squeeze him affectionately just as he purrs softly, rubbing his nose against her collarbone.

A new voice, one that she doesn't recognize, says in a shocked tone:

"That's INSANE. That cat hates _everyone_. Well, except when someone has food, preferably fish."

Julie turns to the direction of the voice, which came from a black hair girl. Isabelle. The name popped into her head instantly. She doesn't know if it's the news she heard whispers in the Los Angeles area about the Lightwoods losing their youngest child, or the familiar feature that identify her as Alec's sister. They have the same smooth sleek black hair, the same fair skin and high cheekbone. The only difference is where Alec's eyes are the famous Herondale shade, Isabelle's are deep brown, to almost a black color.

Julie smirks and say: "Not everyone. I'm probably one of his favorite person in the whole entire world."

Isabelle raises one of her delicate eyebrow but didn't object.

"I take it that you're our guest. Jace and Clary are in the training room, and we put your luggages in the only room that fits, which coincidentally happens to be next to mine."

Alec replies with an ironic tone. "I doubt deeply that it's coincident."

Isabelle shoots her older brother a murderous glare and says: "I'm going to order for dinner. You go call Jace and Clary. I'm so not risking my eyes for the disturbing image. Church will take our guest to Mom."

As if of a cue, Church jumped down from Julie's lose arms and stroll down the long hallway. The talking and Alec's footsteps faded out, and she is outside of the double doors of the Library before she notice.

She push the doors open, and walks in with Church in her arms again.

Like she expected, Maryse Lightwood is sitting in front of the giant desk.

"I told both of you not to boring me unless-" Her sentence is cut off in the middle when she sees Julie.

For a few moments, there's nothing is the one that broke the dreadful silence. "I take it that you are our guest."

Julie nods, satisfy of the uncomfortableness she caused the other woman with her presence.

"Don't worry, I'm not here for revenge. I'm here to see Magnus. Also to connect with the last Herondale."

Maryse is silent, and Julie can feel many emotions running through her. Fear, anger, irritation, and… something sour that she can't identify.

Julie didn't even wait for a reply, she just walks over to one of the window seats and sits down, putting Church on her lap.

After a few moments, Maryse asks: "How long are you going to stay here?" she can barely conceal her nervousness.

Julie shrugged nonchalantly, patting Church's furry head. "A few years, until Magnus gets tired of me."

Maryse jumps out of her high—back chair, nearly knocking the chair over. "If you are going for revenge, don't hurt my children-they are innocent. Punish me or Robert."

Julie tilts her head to the left, "If I wanted to hurt you, you or your husband would had more whip slashes down your backs. Besides-I would never hurt you or your children. Your partner is another matter."

Maryse physically relaxes, but before she can give her gratitude or simply reply, Isabelle's head peek over the double door of the library. "Mom? Julie? Dinner's here. We're having Italian today, and Alec got Clary and Jace downstairs."

Julie hopped up, which startled Church, and with an apologetic glance to the creature, declared: "Did you order lasagna?" When Isabelle nodded, she ran past her, and with Church jogging alongside, going down to the dining room.

The hallway is longer than she anticipated, but after a few seconds, Church lead her into the dining room with the open kitchen. There are three people sitting in front of the mahogany dining table. One clearly is Alec, and there are two others teenager. She recognize them immediately: the angel boy and the angel girl, Jonathan Herondale and Clarissa Fairchild.

They are legends in the Shadowhunter world: The girl helped the Nephilim win the Mortal War, and the boy killed the infamous Jonathan Christopher Morgenstern, who coincidentally happens to be Clary's brother. If he hasn't died, she would really likes to get to know Jonathan. Or Sebastian, he likes to be called. They are both injected with demon blood somehow, but apparently one chose to live among the shadows and the other chose to walk in the light.

She met Clary when she was still a baby in her mother's arms. Jem and Tessa performed her protection ceremony, standing in place of the Silent Brother and Iron Sister. She and Magnus had camped on his couch, eating cookie dough ice cream and watching the ritual. It's fascinating how the magic flourish into her body.

Clary is reading a leather-bound book out loud, which is definitely the Codex.

"The first successful Portal was created in 1878, a collaboration between Henry Branwell, the head of the London Institute, and a warlock whose name history, unfortunately, does not record."

"Magnus." Julie says evenly, and watches as blue eyes, green eyes, and gold eyes fall on her, clearly confused.

"Magnus Bane. High Warlock of Brooklyn? Alec's boyfriend? Glitter worshipper? He helped inventing the Portal. Funny how they didn't mention my name at all."

Jace recovered first, and asked: "Magnus invented the Portal?" Julie nodded, and everyone was clearly surprised.

Before any of them can ask a question, Maryse and Isabelle enter the dining room, giving each other the cold shoulder. They all settle down, not bothering with introduction. Julie was sipping her orange juice when Clary asked:

"How do you know Magnus helped inventing the Portal?"

Julie narrows her eyes, and answers the question with another question. "Magnus didn't tell you guys?"

They all shook their head, and Julie made a mental note to ask what happen to Magnus' egoistic behavior. "I was there."

Clary blinks with confusion. "In 1878?"

Julie made a sound like "Umm huh" against her glass of juice.

Jace's interest is sparks and he declares in a superior tone. "There's no immortal Shadowhunter."

Julie almost chokes on her orange juice. His tone is almost exactly like Will's.

"Don't assume you know everything, little Herondale."

Jace was about to say something else before she sends a rush of her energy towards him, making him silent.

Alec bolted up in alarm, staring at his _parabati_ in awe and worry. "What have you done to him?"

Julie shrugged, "A calming emotion shot."

Alec stares at her as if she suddenly have horns growing out of her head, and she shrugged again.

"It's my gift. Emotion control, it is."

When clearly no one has an idea what's she talking about except for Maryse, she sighs and put down her empty glass.

"It's a long story."

She feeds Church, who is kneeling beside her chair, a piece of her left over pasta and pet his head.

A few minutes later, everyone finish their dinner and goes separate ways. Alec walks his mother backs to the library as Jace walks Clary to the elevator. Isabelle insists to show Julie her room, although she tells her that Church can do the job. She guesses that she just wants to see her luggages. She was right- and they spend the rest of their night unpacking and trying on clothes-or rather accessories, since Isabelle is a good five inches taller than she is.

Maryse walks silently along her older son-she corrects herself sadly, her only son. Just as she reaches out to open the double door, he spoke:

"What's up with you and our guest?"

She froze in mid-action, but she regains her posture and answers as calmly as she could to answer the question.

"What makes you think so?"

Alec runs a hand through his unruly black hair and says: "Ah I don't know. You keep on sneaking terrifying glances at her throughout dinner."

Maryse is in no mood of lying today, so she sighs. "Come in the library. I'll tell you the whole story."

She walks up to her desk, knowing that Alec is following behind her. She sit down at her chair, and Alec took the chair opposite of hers.

"Have I ever told you what happen to the previous family that were resident in the Institute?"

Alec nodded slowly. It was one of the story he hated as a child. Valentine led the Circle, along with his parents to invade the wolf pack in Chinatown, New York. The Whitelaws, the head of the Institute were defending them along with some other Downworlders. They end up killing all of the Shadowhunter presented.

"She was there as well. We thought she's a warlock, that's why we pretty much left her alone. Warlocks are too dangerous-especially the fighters. We got rid pretty much all the wolves when her companion, a brown hair warlock , attacked Robert from behind. She put a dagger on his neck and threaten everyone to back up and cease attack. I panic, and I shoot a dagger in the nearest warlock's direction, who happens to be Julie."

Alec sucked in a breath. He didn't realize their history is that bad.

Maryse went on, not realizing or caring her son's astonishment. "Not a single warlock listened. I was confused for a second, and astounded by their cruelty. Then a second later the dagger shoot back, bury itself on my neck."

"Seeking the momentary distraction, the youngest Whitelaw, Rachel-lunge and attacked me. Your father was looking out for me- and he beheaded her."

"Suddenly it was all chaos, and I was taken away for medical attention. That's where this-" she taps her neck lightly, "Came from"

"By the end of the night, all the Whitelaws are dead. Catarina, Magnus, and Julie got the wounded girl and rushed away."

"I often wonder if the girl is dead yet. Hopefully she's not. If she is-I bet Julie is here for revenge."

They are both silent, except for their uneven breathes. Alec says slowly: "Do you know why, or rather, how-is she immortal and able to bear Marks?"

Maryse nod, "When she was young and in her mother's womb, somehow she was injected with demon poison and demon blood."

Alec's eyes widen. "She's like Sebastian."

Maryse shakes her head slowly. "Not quiet. Her eyes are not black, and she possess no demonic super power. Her gift is more beneficial than harmful."

Alec realized why his mother is terrified of their guest now. "You're afraid she's attack _us_. Me, Izzy, or Jace."

Maryse nods, keeping her eyes on her fingers, which are shaking slightly.

Alec finds himself in a position to comfort his mother. "I don't think she would. I think she has children, and she definitely understand the standing and viewing point of a mother. Besides-" He stands up, heading for the door. "If she wanted revenge, why waited until now?"

He walked out the library, closing the door quietly behind her, and Maryse's alone again.

She massages her temple lightly, deciding to find out more of this mysterious women. The first book she looked up is the family tree. Not knowing her last name, she started looking alphabetically from the front. She was up to Carstairs when she found her name with a mini-portrait.

Julie Carstair-Townsend, 1872— Above it is her familiar profile, with an old-fashion dress, and Julie looks identical as she is now, and her define face is light up with a radiant smile. Below her is a straight line led to the Townsend family tree, and Maryse obediently turns to it.

It turns out she had a husband name Connor, and four children: Calvin Jonathan Townsend, Cato Jonathan Townsend, Caitlyn Julianne Townsend-Whitelaw. So that's why she defended the Whitelaws like she's fighting for her life, Maryse thought regretfully. Now she wouldn't blame her if she attempted to kill her. Her thought wonder back to the book to read the last name of the tree-Clarabelle June Townsend-Trueblood.

Maryse blinks many times, and decides to go on to _her_ family tree, which happens to be on the next page. When she look into the late nineteenth century, she found Julie's name. With the same exact data as the one on the Townsend tree.

She slump back to her chair as the new information sink into her slowly.

Julie is her ancestor.

**DUN DUN DUN *suspense***

**So Julie and Maryse knew each other o.O**

**Just a little FYI, this is set between the ending of CoG and CoFA, just before Magnus and Alec goes on vacation.**

**The little insert of ****_Codex _****that Clary was reading is actually from the ****_Codex_****, under the subtitle Portal.**

**Those who read The Infernal Devices must know that Magnus co-invented the Portal. Those who haven't... well then now you know.**

**Until next time! **

**xoxo, Flora**


	4. Chapter 3

**Hello!**

**See I updated pretty quickly this time!**

**I had so much fun ****writing**** this chapter since we get a ****glimpse**** at Julie's earlier life.**

**I would like to thank you guys for all your supports!**

**I really don't know who you are, but the dear guest user that said "write on" to me had really made me grinning ear-to-ear for the entire week!**

**And HerondaleCake! thank you for your kind words!**

**I know how people says this every single time, but your supports honestly means so much to me!**

**so enjoy! **

**Chapter 4**

Julie woke up earlier than everyone else in the Institute. Church stirs beside her as she gets up from her bed, opening one of his bright amber eye. She pets its furry belly, a reassuring pat that says _go back to sleep. _He obeys, and rolls to his other side as she opens her drawer for a change of clothes.

She took a quick shower, using her favorite mango shampoo and the matching conditioner. She putted on some maroon tight and a skater skirt along with a fitting tank top, then grabs a leather jacket for the chilly autumn morning.

She swing by Starbucks before she gets on the cab to Magnus's loft, relieved that she lives in the twentieth-first century. The old fashion skirts and corsets are just too restrictive and uncomfortable.

When she arrived at Magnus' loft, she used the same tactic she used last time to get into his apartment. She made a mental note to ask for a set of keys.

She walks into the living room-today it's decorated like the 80's today, with all the abstract coloring and pop checkers pattern. She scoop up the tiny Chairman Meow and set off towards the bedroom.

What she didn't know is that Alec had stay for the night. She was relieved when she saw them both fully dressed in matching flannels.

She wasn't surprise that Magnus is already awake. He barely sleeps at all. He jokes about how he's "too fabulous to sleep," but only her and Tessa knows that he's afraid of his nightmares. Of losing his parents, of his demonic father, of his loved one getting killed right before his eyes.

She sat down on his couch (decorated in glitters and some weird dark red fabric), and Julie sips the whip cream of her caramel mocha.

Magnus closes the door behind him, not wanting to wake Alec, and he leans on the door. "I'm going on a world tour with Alec, starting today."

Julie froze, and Chairman nudges her hand for more petting. She continues to stroke his fur, but does not speak.

Magnus sighs heavily, and comes around the sofa to sit next to her. The sofa sinks under his weight, and he put one of his olive-color arm around her.

"I'm sorry jelly toast" It's the nickname that he came up as a parody for her initial, and he use it whenever he wants something from her or when he's apologetic. He continues on "We immortals have eternality, but Alec…" He doesn't have to finish his sentence, she already knew. She saw the same thing happening to her children, to her husband, to Will, to Charlotte, to Cecily… It's the price they have to pay for getting close to the mortals. They get sick, they age, they pass away.

They don't need communication. Julie already knew how eager Magnus is for this trip, but he hates how sad she is. She knows if she asks, he would cancel the trip immediately. Her heart screams to ask him to cancel it, but her logical and reasoning mind tells her that he deserves the happiness.

Her brain won, and she says in a weak smile: "Where are you guys going first?"

The minute the sentence leaves her mouth, Magnus' cat eyes lighted up and he hugs Julie as tight as he could.

"Can't… Breath!" She says, but she loves the familiarity of his presence.

"Egypt." She can feel the smile in his voice as he whisper into her ear, but the moment he says the country, Julie wrinkles her nose.

"Too dusty." The last time she went to Egypt, she coughed up sand for the couple month that followed.

He shrugs, and she sighs as she escapes his embrace. "Well, I'll leave you two for packing."

He nods at her with gratitude, and she stands up, about to put Chairman Meow down as an idea races through her head.

"What does Chairman usually eats?" She asks excitedly, and Magnus shoots her a confusing look.

"Everything excepts carrot and cabbage. Why?"

"He will have lots of fun with Church."

"No, you are _not_."

She hums, and she puts Chairman in her tote. "Let's go cupcake." She can feel Magnus' silent laughter, and she walks out of the door, with Chairman Meow's head popping out of her bag constantly.

Instead of going back to the Institute, she found herself in front of Garroway Books. _Garroway Books. Fine Used, New, and Out-of-Print. Closed Saturdays. _She smiles despite herself. Who would've thought Lucian Graymark, Valentine's _parabati_, would open a _bookstore_?

She walks up to the side door-since its Saturday, and the bookstore is obviously close-and rings the doorbell once. Then twice. She was just starting to play Mozart's _Minuet in C _when Lucian opens the door with a loud _thud_, about to snap.

"Whoever you are I am going to murder you-" He saw Julie, with her hand halfway to the doorbell, and his face instantly shift.

"Julie." He says with a simple declaring tone. They had fought side to side during the Uprising. She actually illegally took her whip inside the Accord Hall. She didn't get in trouble just because the greater evil is not on their side.

"About to get wolf-y on me? You need to know how to appreciate classical music, Lucian. By the way,is Jocelyn home?" She peeks over his shoulder, while Chairman Meow snuggle under her arm.

He raises both eyebrow, and question incredulously "I know how you smuggle weapons, and now you smuggle a living _cat_?"

"I didn't _smuggle_ it. His owner knows about it."

Just as she finish her sentence, Jocelyn walks out, wearing a robe and looking sleepy. Julie thinks sheepishly as she realize it's still early in the morning and she interrupted their sleep.

Jocelyn's green eyes lighted up the moment her gaze landed on her. "Julie!" The last time they seen each other was when Tessa and Jem performed Clary's protection ritual. Their prior meeting was at the Uprising, and the one before that… Never mind.

"How rude are you, Luke? Invite our guest inside!" She half-shoves Julie inside the house, and a grumpy looking Luke follows.

"Clary told us you are in New York again." Jocelyn says as they settle down on the couch with a cup of coffee for each of them. Julie's second cup of the day. She barely noticed, she got addicted to caffeine in the past years since they popularized.

She nodded, sipping the creamy coffee delicately. "Once I heard the Herondale bloodline didn't end, I couldn't wait. It is a well know fact that the Carstairs owes the Herondales greatly."

Jocelyn slips her slender fingers into Lucian's broad palm, and before she could reply, Julie grins and say:

"By the way, congrats! I heard you guys are engaged."

Lucian grimaces slightly and Chairman Meow stirs impatiently in her bag. Julie wishes he doesn't litter in there.

"I didn't realize news travels this fast." He says with a slightly annoyed tone, and she barely suppress a smile.

"Rumors travels faster than winds for mundanes, Downworlders, and Shadowhunters alike."

Lucian mumbles something under his breath and Julie doesn't even bother to listen. The two women starts chatting of miscellaneous topics and Jocelyn's fiancé just sits there, bored but too polite to leave.

Sometimes later Clary stumble down the stairs in workout clothes and a duffle bag. The three adults turns their head and murmur their "good morning." Clary is not a bit surprise Julie's in the living room. She acted like she's one of their year-long friend who come over every morning for breakfast and coffee.

"Going to see Jace?" Julie asks, finishing the last bit of her coffee.

Clary nods, a bit too stiffly that made her suspect something happened that she wont tell. She made another mental note to ask her about it (Just that millisecond she realize she forgot to ask about her previous mental note-a key to Magnus' loft.)

She stood up, and carefully scoop up Chairman Meow from her tote, who made a tiny whimpering sound of annoyance. Julie bet he's getting more angry by the second. She declares: "Great. I can make a Portal."

"That wouldn't be necessary-" Clary starts, but Julie waves a dismissive hand at her.

"Nonsense. It's nothing. I hate taxis but too lazy to get a driver's license." She turns to Lucian and Jocelyn and express her gratitude for her "breakfast".

After promising Jocelyn to visit sometimes, she walks out of the door. She strolls around the bookstore, found a sturdy oak tree and begin to create a Portal.

"Isn't it illegal to open up Portals without permission?" Clary asks nervously as Julie puts the inpatient Chairman in her arms.

"Not for me. I can do whatever I want and not having the Clave interfering. They owed me big time." She glances briefly at Clary and added: "Says a girl who create a Portal rune and fell into Lake Lyn."

Clary flushes and focus on her sneaker as if it's the most interesting thing in the world.

"And, if anyone came over and asks us what are we doing drawing and shooting flame at an oak tree, we can always tell them we are playing _Draw Something."_

Clary laughs, and replies: " I doubt they'll believe the shooting flame part."

She finishes the last rune with the Portal and looks at the swirly gold mass with a satisfied feeling. She took Chairman back from Clary and motion for Clary to go on.

They end up in Julie's bedroom. When she got into there Clary is looking lost, and she smile and put Chairman and her tote down. Church, still in her room, went over and start smelling the younger cat.

Clary set her bag down on the hardwood floor and start to looking around. "Is this your room?" She says as she looks at the pillow on her bed with the quote _sed lex dura lex. _"How did you get this pillow anyway?"

Julie shoot the aqua pillow on her bed a sidelong glance as she turns on her laptop. "I made it myself. Magnus 'accidentally' spill glitter on it and I spent a while getting them off."

They fall silent for a few moments as her computer starts and she logs on to a few of her social network. When she looks up again, Clary's looking at her pictures with regarding interest.

She stands up quietly and walks next to Clary, who's standing along a side of the wall. "This one-was taken in 1878." She says nostalgically as she points to her younger self in Jem's arms. "Look at mini-Julie."

"This is Henry and Charlotte. They are related to you somehow-did you know that the one invented the Portal is your ancestor? Henry's wife, Charlotte was a Fairchild. Oh, by the way she was the first female Consul."

Clary is silent, her eyes focused straight at her ancestors' faces. Knowing she wont get a reaction anytime soon, she went on. "This is Jessamine-she…refused to be a Shadowhunter, but she spend her afterlife guarding the London Institute." She sighs heavily, remembering how she saw Jessie getting stabbed by the automaton from the library window. She was the first one she loved that was killed.

"And here we have the greatest love triangle you will ever have in the Nephilim history. Will-" She pointed to the black hair boy in the black and white picture, who has a scowl on his face. It was before he found out about his curse, and he was trying to conceal his happiness. "and Jem were _parabatai. _By the way Jem's my brother and Will was the last direct Herondale known today to have two siblings."

Clary is stunned-her emotion is all white and red and explosion. "Jem and Tessa"-she sticks her tongue out. Her age might be impressive, but she's still a child mentally. "were engaged. But a medical condition broke it off early. So my darling sister ran off and marry Will. I was raised by them, actually."

"Oh yeah Magnus actually took this picture for us. Sadly he wasn't in the picture, or we would be making fun of him at this time."

Clary is quiet. Too quiet, by her perspective. "Do you want hear about the next picture? Or the boring old plain pictures are just too plain?"

Clary shakes her head violently. "No, no! Go on, I love hearing stories."

Julie smiles, a tiny genuine smile. She moves to her left, towards the door. This one was taken during Sophie and Gideon's wedding. She was the stele girl of the ceremony. She got to dress up in pale gold and holds the golden stele, her favorite color.

"This one was taken during the first wedding I ever went to." She taps the glass that covers the picture. Guess what color is the frame? Gold! It also has a pair of dove with laurel branches and wedding bells.

"Sophie was our maid before her Ascension. She was one of the most genuine and honest person I know. Gideon actually proposed to her during breakfast, or rather he declared his undying love for her."

She chuckles at the memory. That actually made her to spill the tea on her favorite dress, the one that Jessie got for her. Although they got the stain off, as a child she was still not happy about it.

Next she waves her pointer finger at Gabriel. "and here's the younger Lightwood. I always thought it was funny how everyone in the London Institute at the time was married, engaged, or in a relationship. Except for me, of course, I'm about a decade younger than all of them."

"This is Cecily, Gabriel's wife. Cecy's Will's younger sister, and he was always threatening about killing him." She points to Cecy's sensor, a ruby pendant.

"Do you recognize this?" She knows Clary would. She saw the necklace yesterday, on Isabelle's neck.

Clary nods, obviously happy that she knows something at least. "It's the same one Isabelle have."

She smiles. "Will gave it to Cecy. It has been in the Lightwood family ever since."

Her eyes linger on the picture. It was one of her favorites. Everyone's so happy, even though Jem was absent.

She still haven't find the one that was taken at Charles' birth. It must have been somewhere in her luggage.

The next one is all of the younger generation, the one that makes Julie feel older. Charles, with his serious face and red hair; his younger brother, with a shock of blond hair and dimpled smile. Matthew has always been her favorite. He's so considerate and caring, almost reminding her of Jem.

Her cousins, Cordelia and Alastair were also there. They were both chubby and cute, and Cordelia was tugging on Julie's milky brown locks when the picture was taken. James, the Herondales' firstborn, who was named after her brother, were half-hidden behind Matthew. They became _parabatai _some times later, and a young Lucie is all the way in front, grinning.

Too bad the six Lightwood kids aren't here. If they were, it would be a full house.

After she pointed to Clary who's who, they moved to the next picture. It was taken at Connor and her engagement party. It was only her and Connor. Connor is well over six feet, and Julie stands at five-and-a-half. The only way to put their arms around each other was for Julie to put it around his waist and he put his around her shoulder. Both of them were grinning widely.

She puts her palm on the picture, as if it will help her remember her husband.

After a few silent minutes, Clary says softly, carefully. "That's your husband isn't it."

She nodded stiffly, not willing to cry. She promise never to cry again after his funeral. It still hurts, it's an empty hole in her chest. A wound that never healed properly.

She moved on to the next picture, the last one. It's their whole family, the Carstair-Townsend family. Julie and Connor are both seated on the royal-blue sofa, and their hands, the one that Mundanes put their rings on, are entwined tightly.

Clary gasps softly. "Identical twins!" Julie chuckles at her enthusiasm. Indeed, on each of their laps is a blonde-hair girl with warm chocolate eyes. They look almost identical to Emma, and absolutely identical to each other. On Julie's lap is Caitlyn, smiling brilliantly, a smile that looks so much like Connor's, and Clarabelle smiles sheepishly on Connor's leg.

Calvin and Cato sits at the foot of their sofa, trying to be obedient while taking the picture. They are just like most boys, won't be still for even a second. They look like a splitting image of their father, just smaller and more childish, with the loft golden hair and beautiful green eyes, like grass in the spring.

She points each Carstair-Townsend children to Clary, and smiles when she moves to Clarabelle. "Sometime we call her Clary, like the herb clary-sage."

"That's what Jace told me one day." When Clary mentioned Jace's name, her emotion shifts. The joyfulness is gone, and her love for him is out at full force, but there's also uncertainty, worries, and fear.

"What happen to you and Jace?" Julie sat down on her king-size bed and pat the spot next to her, motioning for Clary to sit next to her.

She hesitates for a second. "He's being distant, very distant."

Julie chew on her bottom lip, analyzing every information she received.

"I think one important reason is because of the sudden change, you should know it well yourself. There's a girl that you loves deeply, more than anything; and you were told that she's your sister. I don't think Jace is used to loving so intensely:he's used to the concept that love is a weakness. I knew Valentine, and he's not the kind of person who teaches his children about how to love. Give him some time, and he will eventually comes around."

Clary blinks: "It's surprising how you know so much about love."

Julie bursted out laughing at her tone. "I'm a married woman, even though I'm practically a widow."

Clary sinked back to her thought. Julie realizes what a dreamer she is.

She clapped her hand twice, and pulls Clary up with her. "Now strawberry, off to train! I'm going with you for two reasons: one, to get myself another dagger and two, to see you and Jace train. "

She tugs an unfocused Clary, grabbing her duffle bag on her way out of the door, the two cats realizing they are leaving, trailing behind them, yawning.

A momentary fear came across her: she started liking Clary. She reminds her so much of Henry, and she is afraid of it. Magnus and Tessa and her personal experience tells her that getting close to mortals comes with certain risks.

Is she willing to risk her heart to break again? Will, Cecy, the Lightwoods and the Fairchild's death caused her a great deal of pain, her children's death gave her nightmares, and her own husband's death almost killed her.

But Magnus always says that the first death is the hardest, and maybe, just maybe, this time, she will finally learn her lesson.

**Hehe.**

**I love the picture part a lot.**

**Thank you guys for reading!**

**Please review!**

**until next time!**

**xoxo, Flora**


	5. Chapter 4

**Hi peeps!**

**Here's chapter 4 :) I'm trying to make the chapters longer and better, improving on my writing skills.**

**By the way this is totally unrelated to the chapter, but I just realize out of all the people in the London Institute during the 19th century, Jessamine is most likely the smartest. Tessa didn't know Jem and Will were in love with her, Jem didn't know his parabatai aka Will was in love with Tessa, Will didn't know Jem was in love with Tessa, and the rest of them were too clueless anyway. (Maybe except for Sophie)**

**Well anyway here we go! Enjoy!**

**Chapter 4**

Julie continues to drag Clary by the hand until the red-head girl regains her posture, which is when they got in front of the training room. She tugs her green tank top nervously and smoothes strands of dark strawberry-blonde locks from her ponytail.

Julie pushes open the double door, and immediately begins to search for a handy throwing-knife, or more preferably, a dagger. Clary follows her, scanning the room with cautious eyes.

She knew Jace would be in here; so she wasn't surprise at all when he jumped down from one of the balancing rod at the ceiling and landed next to the duo. Clary jumped a little, and the couple murmurs their "good morning."

After flipping a few dagger over and weight them in her hand, she is still torn between the one with a gold handle that is the same size as her palm, and another one that is thin enough to pass as a chopstick for her hair, but pointy and deadly, almost drawing blood from her finger.

When she looks up, she found the two teenagers staring at her.

"I didn't know picking a dagger could attract so much attention." She raises one of her eyebrow, a trait she'd pick up and loved.

"I'm teaching her hand-on-hand combat today so maybe you could…" Jace says, motioning toward the door of the training room.

She didn't even bat an eye, she just sits down on the floor, cross-legged. "Sure I would _love_ to watch! Thank you Jace. I can also teach you a few technique."

Jace looks like he was about to say something when Clary puts one of her tiny hand on his chest, stopping him. "It would be nice, having another coach in here."

Jace puts a hand to his heart, mock-hurt. "I'm surprise how much it hurts for you to doubt my teaching skill. I'm the best Shadowhunter my age."

Julie points the silver dagger at his direction. "Emphasize on the word _my age."_

After some more complains about having an audience with a smart mouth, he eventually settle down and start coaching Clary a few combat skills.

He's actually not a bad teacher, but Julie's more focus on their emotion, like the way a witch or foreteller focus on auras. She could definitely tell that they are in love: it's all fiery red and lovely pink. Clary has the yellow of an innocent child, while Jace's emotion is much darker.

There's shadow lurking, covering his soul like dark clouds. She's momentarily confuse, and as she tries to changes his emotion and shatter the clouds, she feels dizziness overcome her, and black spots begin swimming in front of her eyes. It hurts her head very badly, and the emotions drags her further down the dark pit.

It could have been seconds, or minutes, or eternity, and she wasn't able to pull herself out of the twirling darkness; it was the sound of the daggers dropping on the floor that jerks her back to reality. She didn't know how and why; but the sound of metal clings to metal always makes her uncomfortable.

When she opens her eyes, she's staring right at the ceiling that is filled with balance beams. She had fell backward onto the hardwood struggles to get up into a sitting position, massaging her temple.

The sound of falling daggers had gain the attention of Clary and Jace, and while Jace looks at her curiously, Clary's gaze is concerning and worried. Julie just smiles weakly and tries to sound assuring.

"I drank too much coffee and didn't have any solid food. Stomach doing an evil trick." Magnus told her long time ago that her British accents always makes her sound convincing, but now it makes her voice thin and almost like a little girl.

"I'm going to grab something to eat. By the way, Jace? I'm taking those two daggers." She hauls herself up with efforts, and walks out the training room, feeling their eyes burning her backs.

As soon as the doors separates her and the couple, she lets herself slouch down. She tries to get to her room as quickly as possible, but her headache only worsen by the second. When she sees her room at the end of the hall, it was such a relief.

She stumbles into the grand bedroom, and she barely had time to take off her boots and biker jacket until she collapse onto her white-gold cover.

She knows she's in a dream before she opens her eyes since everything's hazy and unfamiliar. When she opens her eyes, she's on a meadow, and Connor's walking towards her.

He looks so real that her heart aches. He looks as healthy and young as he was when they first met. There's no sickness, no torment and pain in his eyes, just deep love as his grass-green eyes met her brown ones.

She felt her heart skip a beat, and she starts running towards him. Realizing she's no longer in the outfit she wore earlier. She's in her wedding dress: the one shoulder dress with mermaid train and jewels all over the bodice.

She crashed in him with great force. Despite his strength and muscles, he fell backward onto the grassy plain with Julie on top of him. She is grabbing on his shirt so hard that the hard material of the ceremonial gear hurts her hand, and she is trying her hardest to hold back the tears.

Connor's hand comes up to her hand, stroking her hair softly. They just lay there for a few minutes, and sometimes later he sits up, pulling his wife up as well.

Julie buries her face in his shirt, taking deep breathes to regain her control.

"Julie, darling, I'm not here to make you lose control. I have an important message for you."

Her head snaps up, suddenly alerted. "What message?"

There were seriousness and some sadness in his eyes when he speaks. It hurts Julie more than anything to see her love this way. "I'm here to deliver a message." He repeats again. "You have to leave New York."

It certainly wasn't what she expected. After a few moments of shocked silence, she replies shakily. Only Connor has this kind of effect on her: not able to reply with a witty answer and unable to control her heart, which is fluttering like airy butterfly wings right now.

"Why?" she asks, wanting to listen to him but doesn't want to leave Magnus.

"It's hurtful for both you and the one in the shadow world in the area. I don't want to see you getting hurt." The agony in his eyes is just too much to bear, and she just cant help herself but to put a reassuring hand on his face.

"I don't see how I'm hurting them though." She says quietly.

"On earth everything's a blur of color, but when you are away with the angels, things are more define-more black and white."

She sank back to thought. Maybe he's right; when she leaves New York, they're going to miss her, and when they passes away, she's going to suffer.

Seeing her uncertainty, he bends down and kisses the top of her head. "You don't have to make a decision today, _chéri. _it's your before you go-"

He takes out his stele from is shirt pocket, and looks at her with encouragement. "I can give you a special Mark from the angels to guide you through this time period."

She nods enthusiastically. Most people doesn't know, but being Mark by your partner in marriage also strengthen the rune, just like being _parabatais_ does.

His stele just began to glow softly when she feels her name being called urgently.

"Julie, Julie, wake up! You have to wake up _now_!" Then there's blue sparks everywhere-not the soft glow of stele, not the gold sparks of her own magic, but electrifying blue sparkles: a trademark of someone she knows so well.

Magnus got a call from a concerning Clary at about 8 o'clock in the morning, about two hours after Julie lefts his apartment.

"What's up darling!" He answers cheerfully. It's a rare occasion that anyone calls him.

"The balance beams, but that's not the point. Julie just got out of the training room a few minutes before and she looks ill."

Magnus instantly stop playing with the candle on the coffee table. Julie's one of the best Shadowhunter he knows, and when you are over eight hundred years old, it's a really complementing thing to say. When she looks ill-somethings very wrong.

But he's not going to let Clary knows, because he knows she's going to panic. "I'm sure she's fine, don't worry. I will call her phone all right? Don't wake her up though, she might be sleeping."

He can still hear the doubt in Clary's voice when she says her goodbye. The second he ends the call, he dials Julie's number.

When she didn't pick up for the third time, he decided to go looking for her. He changed out of his pajamas and grabs a sparkly blazer, with a note to Alec, he Portals himself to the Institute.

A second later he's in front of the doors of the Institute. He didn't even bothering knocking; nobody will answer anyway, so he just circles the abandon church slowly, detecting inhabitant energy.

He founds Julie's soft brownish-gold glow near one of the wings. He thought about climbing the tower like the prince in Rapunzal, but decided against it. It's too much work and messy, those legging are new and expensive!

He snaps his fingers, and he found himself in her grand bedroom. Of course it's white and gold and sparkly. Not the glimmer that he loves, but the jewels and studs that reflects the sunlight perfectly.

She's laying on the king-size bed, looking quiet and peaceful. But there's something off about it. She's too still, no movement at all, not even the signs of breathing. She looks… dead.

He walks quickly to the bed, checking her breathing. Nothing, nothing but emptiness, she's not breathing at all. He couldn't believe it. She looks fine this morning, and most Shadowhunters don't just go dead like _that._

He shakes her, gently at first, but increase the force when she didn't wake up. "Julie, Julie, wake up! You have to wake up _now_!" He starts to panic when nothing happens, and he couldn't help it-his fingers just sprung alive with magic-and he sends the rush of energy towards her limp body.

She tries to open her eyes, but wasn't able to. After a few failing attempts, her eyelashes flutter and meets the morning sunlight.

She sits up unwillingly, and meets the yellow-green cat eyes of Magnus.

"I knew it was you." She mutters, putting both of her hands on her she puts her hands down, she saw Magnus looking at her dubiously. "The blue sparks."

He crosses his arm and shifts on her bed. "What happen? Clary had to call me and tell me that you looks like you are going to barf."

She furrows her brows. "She didn't actually use the word 'barf' did she?"

Magnus stares at her as if she has horns on her head "You almost _die_ and all you care is your reputation?"

Julie shrugs, " Says the guy who insisted on wearing leopard jeans and muscle tanks while defending a werewolf pack. But honestly I don't remember anything… Except the part that Connor was about to put a Mark on me when you almost bedazzle me with blue glitters."

"Connor?" He's looking at her again like she had grown horns.

"You know, my husband? French, blonde hair, green eyes, awesome taste in choosing a wife?"

Magnus grins, showing his sharp teeth. "I don't agree on the awesome taste in choosing a wife part." Julie punches him lightly on the shoulder, and winces painfully at the efforts it requires.

"Can you hand me my stele? It's in my boot." Magnus reaches over the bed with his long limbs and grabs her stele in one motion.

She sighs, appreciating the familiar presence of the stele in her hand. She quickly draws a strength rune on her should, and wait for the effect. Nothing happened, nothing at all. She frowns, checking the Mark one more time.

Seeing her facial expression, Magnus asks worriedly. "What happen?"

"It's not working." Julie is on the verge of breaking down. Maybe this sudden change had taken her Shadowhunter ability from her, maybe her Marks are going to get stripped-

"I think it's because of the equilibrium of your body is spinning out of control. Here, let me do it." He puts his hand out, palm up.

Julie lays her musician's hand in his rough tan one, staring at her Carstair family ring. At first nothing happens, but a few seconds later, a rush of energy rushes through her, making her looking at the world more clearly.

Magnus drops her hand, and smiles warily at her. "I'm sorry Mags-" She was just beginning to apologize when he silence her.

"It's nothing. Packing doesn't require much energy anyway, and we are taking the plane."

Julie hesitates, but knows better to argue with Magnus. She simply sits up from her bed, swings her feet, which are covered with socks, and step onto the hardwood floor. She walks to one of the empty wall and whirls her stele in her hand.

When Magnus realized what she's doing, he starts to stand up, but collapse back to her bed. With a sideway glance, she clicks her tongue.

"It's easier for me anyway. All you need to do is to jump in and _bam _you are home."

When she's done, she walked over to the bed and offers Magnus a hand to help him up. He gladly accepts it and let her lead him to the Portal.

She stands on tiptoe and ruffle his hair, a movement he hates because it messes his hair up. He bends down so he can put his arm around her waist, and she places a kiss on his right cheek, almost unwilling to let him go.

He lets go of her waist, and with one last look that says _farewell_, stepping through the Portal.

She sighs heavily, turning toward her bureau to find herself another jammie. She eventually dug out a flora baby doll slip along with a pink robe. She changes quickly into them, and climbs into bed, tugging herself in. She hates tugging herself in-she misses the days in London where there's always someone to do it for her. She can feel her eyelids growing heavier and she drives slowing to sleep-although Magnus gave most of his energy to her, she's still exhausting. She made a side note to go to Silent City later. Or maybe tomorrow…

She woke up at the sound of someone opening the door. The sun had already went down and her room is pitch black except for a crack of light from the doorway.

"Clary?" She yawns, reaching for her bedside lamp. When she turns in on, she can see the redhead more clearly, who's steading at her doorway, looking sheepish.

"Are you all right? Did Magnus came over?"

She nods, trying to locate her phone. "He did, and he went to Egypt with Alec-in case you didn't know."

Clary shrugs, "Alec came over and got some stuff." Realizing she might hd interrupt her sleeping time, added quickly. "Did I wake you up?"

Julie smiles. "No not really, I have eat something anyway." She swings her feet off her blankets and put them into her fuzzy white slippers.

Pulling her robes tighter, she runs a hand through her messy brown hair and ask:"Had fun in training?"

Clary hesitates, "Jace was really distracted."

Julie is really bummed that it's still the same for the couple. She walks to her and put an arm around the smaller girl. "Give it some time, he'll eventually comes around. Now come on-I'll walk you to the elevator."

They walk side by side to the lobby, where Chairman and Church are, laying on their stomach. She stops momentarily to pat both of their heads and hits the elevator button for Clary.

When the elevator screeches to a stop, she turns to Clary and smiles. "Are you coming tomorrow?" Clary shakes her head, shaking her red curls.

"I'm going to Simon's tomorrow. I'll be here on Monday though."

Julie raises an eyebrow but didn't question who's Simon. "Well, I'll see you then." They wave at each other, saying their byes, and Julie paddles into the kitchen, the two cats trailing after her.

Isabelle is in there, cooking some semi-solid soup.

"For the Angel's sake!Is that thing edible?" Isabelle turns her face sideway at her at says:

"Of course it is! Why won't broccoli potato soup with beef be?"

She frowns. "It smells like dead snails. Doesn't Maryse cook?"

Isabelle pours some black sees into the soup and start stirring rapidly. "She's busy with her business."

Julie nearly gagged at the strong smell of the spice. "Throw it out."

Isabelle was about to object when Julie dashes for the pot in inhuman speed and with a light flick with her wrist, pour the content down the sink.

"Why would you do that?" Isabelle yelped, furious at her blunt decision at throwing out her masterpiece.

"I have to. It's not edible. I'm going to change into something so I can cook. Try not to burn down the kitchen while I'm gone." She turns toward her room, sneaking glances to make sure the black-hair girl doesn't attempt to start cooking again.

She changes into a mint color hoodie and black tights and slips on some flat sandals. With her hairs up in a topknot, she quickly rushes to the kitchen.

She's glad to see Isabelle obediently following her instruction and is currently sitting on the kitchen island, picking her nails.

She hops down the marble surface quickly when she saw Julie approaching. "I volunteer as the chef's assistance." She pipes cheerfully.

"It's not from _The Hunger Games_, Iz. Please don't-you will food poison all of us."

"What's that? I hope they are all hungry. Anyway I really want to help."

Julie opens the refrigerator, looking for something to cook. "A few month ago I was walking down the street of LA when I saw those adorable heels at the Louis Vuitton store on the broadway, and they were so beautiful-"

"Are you _bribing_ me?" Isabelle sounds a bit annoyed, but Julie was glad that she actually sounded tempted.

Julie chose to ignore her. "They are those red pumps with black soles and crystal everywhere. Every detail is perfect except for one… They are eight and a half, a size and a half too big. I got them anyway though. Do you happen to be the size?"

Izzy brighten, convinced. "That's a coincidence!"

Julie smiles, happy that she is distracted now. "They are in my closet, and while you are in there, you can also try on some other shoes, more preferably heels, since I almost never wear them, and maybe you can have some of them-"

She turns around, about to tell her that a lot of them are vintage collection, but to find the kitchen deserted. She smiles, and bend down to feed the two cats next to her feet a few salmon, and begin to work.

About three-quarter hours later, a masculine voice appears at the doorway. "Goddess gracious Iz, what cooking god had struck you?" When Julie turns around and raise an eyebrow at the blonde Herondale, he smiles crookedly at her.

"Of course you are not Izzy. Where's the devil anyway?" He walks closer to the kitchen, almost touching the pasta when she smacks his hand away.

"Go call Maryse, then go drag Izzy out of my room. Put a knife on her neck if necessary, or she would be eating my shoes."

He gave her an incredulous look, but didn't ask why. She finish setting up the table when Maryse walks in. She sees the dinner but didn't ask a question. She just goes straight to the kitchen and pour herself some water.

Jace and Isabelle appear about two minute later. Jace's holding Izzy in a strange way, a mixture between a piggy-back ride and a bridal-style lift, and Izzy's constantly struggling.

"You need to go on a diet." Jace declares when he puts her in a chair, massaging his left arm, and receive a murderous look from his adoptive sister.

"Found the kittens?" Julie asks, settling down on a chair opposite of Isabelle's.

She nods enthusiastically. "It fits perfectly! They are beautiful, so beautiful." She has a dreamy look on her face that Julie thought wasn't possible for the vicious Shadowhunter.

"You can have it." She says as she nibbles on her salad, sneaking pieces of salmon under the table.

"I could?" Izzy's dark brown eye sparkles.

Julie nodded. "They are too big for me anyway, I'm not that tall-and I cant really wear heels. Just remember not to wear them to go demon hunting. They cost near a grand."

"Thank you thank you thank you thank you!" She squeals excitingly, nearing toppling over the glasses on the table as she reaches over to hug Julie.

"Isabelle," Maryse warns her daughter about table manners, scooping up the pumpkin soup.

"You can pick them up after dinner." Julie says as the taller girl release her from her bone-crushing embrace.

Jace chews loudly, and asks: "What kind of pasta is this? It's not Italian nor American."

"Aren't you the one with all the cultural studies and everything? It's French, duh." She says as she give up sneaking the fish and just puts her entire salad on the floor. She reminds herself to buy both of them cat food tomorrow.

"You should cook more often. Izzy you should learn from her too." Julie rolls her eyes, trying to fight the urge to scratch her legs due to the furry cat furs.

"Convince me." She sits back to her chair, and looks at Jace with superior attitude.

"I was hoping my charisma had already convinced you."

"You wish. I will if you washes the dishes tonight."

"Deal." He offers one of his hand for her to shake it, which she took and shakes twice.

About ten minutes later, most of the meal are done, and Jace started to clean up the table. He frowns at Chairman and Church, who are cuddling under the table with the salad dish.

Maryse retires early, excusing her to her studies, and leaves the room. Julie and Isabelle walks to their hall, Izzy practically bouncing off the walls.

They got into her room, and instantly Izzy ran to her oversize closet, digging out the black and red heels. She quells with excitement, hugging them to her chest.

Julie laughs at her dramatic reaction, sitting on her bean bag. "You can also look through them to find the bigger sizes-I think there are quiet a few of them, and if you like them take them."

She was quiet surprise that Izzy didn't pass out from excitement. She start looking through her closet, picking out the shoes she likes (mostly heels), and trying them out.

Julie would give her opinion and criticize constantly. By the end of the night, Izzy took about eight pairs of shoes into her room, muttering about his she fitted all the shoes in her suitcases, and Julie smiles and tells her about the magic about… well, magic.

She finally settle down at about midnight. After shower, new pajamas, and scooting the two kitties onto her bed, she turns off her phone and lays back to her fluffy pillows. With a deep sigh, she closes her eyes to prepare for a business-like day tomorrow.

**So that's the new chapter! **

**The part where Julie meets Connor is actually Lilith's influence :o It's like Max and Jace's encounter.**

**Next chapter Julie will go to the Silent City and go buy expensive cat food (?)**

**Review are very welcomed!**

**Until next time peeps!**

**-xoxo, Flora**


	6. NoticeReplies to Reviews

**Hi Peeps!**

**This is not a chapter update, but I'm here to reply to the reviews I got recently, okie? The next chapter will comes soon, and I PROMISE I will work on the grammar.**

First from: Guest

You pointed out of my grammar mistakes. I had taken note of this and I promise I will go back to the previous chapters and fix them. I will try to do my best, but I really didn't take proper English grammatical courses before since I'm only starting high school next year

Then from Guest (Athira)

I know it might sound a little cray-cray, but yes she does have the protection spell from birth, but due to her emotion gift, she is able to touch the emotions of her subject (?). If any of you ever read _Twilight_, Jasper Cullen from the saga actually have a similar gift, and it can touch Bella's semi-palpable shield. Lilith is able to touches Julie since by altering Jace's emotion, it takes energy from Julie and her own emotion.

Umm it's kind of complicated. My parents are ambassadors from Taiwan, so generally Mandarin is my first language. However, I speak fluid English, even though the writing is far from there are many grammatical mistakes, please forgive me . I mainly relies on my MacBook Air's spelling and grammar check. I will work on it!

P.S. My life is basically split between Taiwan and NY, but right now I speaks more English than Mandarin, since like, you know, I need to go to school and everything XD.

**Thanks for all you peeps' support, give me feedbacks and I will answer them as quickly as possible!**

**Until next time!**

**-xoxo, Flora**


	7. Chapter 5

**Herro**

**This chapter took a long time to be published huh? I'm sowwy .-. I am currently traveling to another country (I miss New York), and believe me it's boring and the internet is incredibly slow. **

**This is a short chapter- 1828 without the A/N. But this is vital and I can't drop it. Hey it's sibling bonding time so yeah... **

**Shoutout to Athira! Thanks for your support! and by the way I lost my ability to type in Mandarin a long time ago :p**

**So enjoy!**

**Chapter 4**

The next day is surprisingly hot and humid. _Autumn tiger_, Julie thought of the famous Chinese saying as she walks out of the Institute door.

The sun burns hotly on her back as she heads toward the entrance of the Silent City. Having a special "treatment" from any power under the Clave, she doesn't even need permission to go to the Silent City. She visits regularly on her love one's birthdays, and that's actually a lot of , today she's not visiting the necropolis. She realized how close they are to Cato's birthday, and reminds herself to visit in… 11 days.

She's going to the archive to find out more about the darkness she felt yesterday. Her memory of the previous day is slightly hazy, like a pane of glass in need of cleaning. The more she wants to remember, the more she forgets.

Knowing the recent Valentine Massacre of 2007, the number of Silent Brothers dropped significantly. Brother Jeremiah didn't make it, but _thank _the Angel Jem and Brother Enoch were both unharmed. They probably won't bother to help her find her information, but she has a couple tricks up her sleeves-even though her shirt doesn't exactly _have _sleeves.

She walks down the Manhattan streets with confidence and a weird sense of energy. She's glamoured to prevent any question on her Marks, and she can do cartwheel on the concrete if she wants to, but then she doesn't know how will she holds her parka and wallet.

She walks past a cute boutique, but suppress her urge of going inside and rips the adorable scarf off the display model's neck. She's all business right now- and maybe she could actually come back later, she added as an afterthought.

She doesn't really know how much time it took her to walk to the Silent City's entrance. Wearing black muscle tank, black jeans, and black combat boots are obviously a horrible choice for today's weather. She was sweating when she got there.

The entrance is glamoured as usual, but she doesn't know anyone who would take interest in the less-than-ordinary New York City Marble Cemetery. As she walks down humid staircase, the angel statue awaits her. She had always thought it was Raziel, but she always forgets to ask.

She uses her new dagger to cut a shallow wound on her palm. She squeezes her fist together, dropping a few scarlet blood in the cup. The eyelids of the angel flutter open, showing more granite underneath.

The ancient door marble door slides open loudly, and another flight of stairs awaits her. She stumps down the stairs heavily, a gesture that telling the Silent Brothers _I'm here!_

It is barely needed since they sense everything that's going on their territory, and a Silent Brother is at the bottom, waiting for her as her feet found solid ground again.

_Welcome, Julie Townsend. _The Silent Brother greets her, his face conceal completely by his hood. He starts walking as soon as soon as she settles with her place next to him.

She nods respectfully. "Brother-" She hesitates. She doesn't even know the name of the Brother since everything is mess up and most of the new Brothers are foreign-

_Zachariah_. He speaks quietly in her mind, but not without amusement.

She stops dead in her track, eyes widening to an impossible size.

Jem stops, and turns around sideway. _How can the Silent Brothers offers you its service today? _She thought sullenly in her mind how the Brotherhood had turn her brother's once silky and gentle voice into one of their dull _dead_, mind telepathy.

She shakes away the discomfort and shock. "Huh? The archive, I need some information on mood alternation."

He nods, and heads toward the grand library. _Question_. She thinks in her head. There's no immediate answer, but she knows he heard her. _Can the other Brothers hear our thought?_

_No, not if the Brother chose to block it. _She noticed he didn't use the word I. Silent Brothers are always like that: refers to themselves as a whole body, never individuals.

_Then drop the formality. I hate it. For Angel's sake, you are my _brother. She screams in her head.

_I'm everyone's brother; I'm a Silent Brother. _He didn't promise that he will drop the formality, but she can literally hear his nut shell cracking.

They walk the rest of the way to the archive in silence. She doesn't know what to say-_did Tessa tell you we split up? Do you know Magnus is dating a Will-look-a-like? Were you in Idris during the Mortal War?_

Her usually analytical mind is scrunched up and she bet she can't even defend herself if a demon is to attack her right now. This is not how imagine it will be when she finally sees her brother face-to-face, one-on-one time. She felt awkward and unnatural, as if he's some old friend whom she hasn't seen in a long time, with no topic to talk about and they just fill the emptiness with silence.

She was glad when they arrive at the grand library. "Sudden emotion changes. Especially the one that the person isn't aware of." She says loudly, her voice echoing in the halls\ and feels Jem's disapproval like waves, crashing on to her.

_The Brothers will look for it the best we could; please wait momentarily. _Julie nods, sitting down on one of he chair surrounding the dark wooden table.

She fishes out her phone out of her wallet, frowning at the lack of signal. She was disappointed when she sees Magnus haven't left her a message or text. He enjoys taking pictures and sending them to her; usually with captions like "glitters for life," or "do I look good in yellow?"

Jem took about five minutes, and when he came back, there's only one book in his pale hands; a leather bound book with reddish-brown cover. She slides her phone into her pocket, wondering why there's only one book in the enormous archive.

_Why is there only one book? S_he thought gloomily, but her brother silence her with a hand, and she obeys.

_No one in the history of Nephilim ever had a special gift like you do. _He says it simply, almost like a declaration, but she could tell that behind the mask of seriousness, he's proud of her talent, even though its existence had killed their parents and nearly both of them.

She opens the book carefully, not willing to hurt the ancient book. Being raise by Tessa and Will, she had develop a passion for books-and Will had taught her and Jaime and Lucie to love them and respect them.

It's in ancient Greek, but she knows how to read it-just barely. She furrows her brows together, just barely figuring out vocabulary such as "manipulation" and "control".

She closes the book carefully, shaking her head. _This is not the book. I know it's not. My…subject is not capable of such dark emotions. _She buries the urge of telling Jem that her subject is Jace Herondale, but she knows he would freak out and panic, as much as a Silent Brother can get-hyperventilation and runs around the Silent City and knock down every piece of decoration maybe.

Jem the Silent Brother is silent for a moment. At least he's quiet in her mind. After a few moments, he speaks in her mind again. _Would you like to go somewhere else? _She found herself nodding, wanting to go to see Connor's grave after the confusing dreams.

Julie was asked once by the Silent Brother to use Henry's ashes to fortify the City's marble arches since he's like a legend. They asked while two of them were holding his body. She lashes out, almost attacking them with her whip. They never asked that question again, not to Julie at least.

They were all buried in the mausoleums. There are the family graveyards, but she had moved all of the ashes, from the Trueblood to the Carstairs-into the mausoleums.

They walk down the staircase, and Julie is trying to be chatty. _Did you block our conversation? _She asks, not wanting him to get into trouble.

_Yes, and you shouldn't mention it to anyone. _Julie rolled her eyes at that. _I'm a loner, remember? I have no friends. Actually I did but they're all dead; and the remaining two are both away. One's on vacation with his boyfriend, and the other abandoned me. _

_She didn't _abandoned_ you. _He answers back defensively, defending his former fiancée.

_Of course she didn't. Even if she did, you won't admit it; you are too blindly in luvvvvvv to see that. _She can hear her own bitterness in her head.

Silence, and Julie shivers, holding her wallet with her teeth as she puts on her army-green parka. Jem speaks as she zips up her jacket. _She told me what happen. She shouldn't have snapped at you-_insert silent triumph smile in her head-but _you shouldn't have release your frustration on her either._ Shoulder slump.

Now it's her turn to be silent. How can he say that? He doesn't understand how alone she is. All this time being lonely and isolated.

But she doesn't need to speak. They had travel down and arrive into the graveyards. She quickly abandons her brother and rushes to the Carstairs mausoleum. She looks up and shivers-she had always hated the ossuary, since all the skulls always creep her out, even though she was born and raised to be the best Shadowhunter she could be.

She went to her parent's first. She always thought her mother's tombstone was extremely funny. Her Chinese name just doesn't fit the Carstairs last name. She skims her index finger on her father's tombstone: _Jonah Carstairs, ave atque vale. _

Her throat tightens, and she swallows hard. Jem's name should've be here, and his children's should've be here, and her tombstone should've be next to Connor's in the Townsend mausoleum-

_Don't. It doesn't help, you are just tortured yourself more. _She looks up, and saw Jem standing next to her, as still as a statue.

_How would you know? You weren't-actually _aren't_ married, you never had any children-s_he thought bitterly, glancing sideway at him.

_A whole lot than you thought. I had a life before this. I had a fiancée, I had parents, I had my parabatai, and I still have a sister. I treated your and the Herondale children as my own._

Julie shrugs, blocking the momentary discomfort. "Must be boring, being here with the dead bodies." She chuckles humorlessly, not putting her mind into it. She glances briefly at her phone, astonished of the time. The sun is setting in New York in less than an hour.

"Thanks for having me bro. Must had taken up all your play time." She stands up, dusting invisible pollens on her jeans.

"Tell Tessa I'm still mad at her." With that, she spins around and walks out of the City.

**This isn't a good chapter I know :(** **But really I am doing my best to make it not bad. Any way bad internet and boring life means I will be uploading more often! And I'm thinking about doing a Hunger Game Crossover! What do you guys think?**

**The book Jem got Julie is actually accurate, but shhhh don't spoil! Warning by the way for those who haven't read CoFA yet. The next few chapters will be based on events in the book so thought I will just warn you guys.**

**I don't know if they can actually block conversations, but well, it's a fanfic!**

**See you guys next time!**

**xoxo, Flora**


	8. Outtake-Shopping for Cat Food

**See? I update really quickly this time!**

**Oh sorry. Hi!**

**This chapter is short, I know.**

**The next couple chapter won't be base on the books, but later it will go with CoFA, CoLS, and CoHF**

**Enjoy!**

**Chapter 6-Outtake (Cat Food Shopping)**

It's just ironic how the sun burns on her back when she walks to the Silent City, and now it's burning on her back yet again.

She quickly searches up the cat food stores on her phone while waiting for the streetlight. She knows that they might enjoy eating human food more, but a healthy diet is a way to achieve youth and immortality, right?

She puts her palm on the heavy door of the Institute and chant softly under her breath. "I am Julie Carstair-Townsend, one of the Nephilim-" and the door swings open easily.

The other inhabitant each has a set of keys, but she doesn't understand why would they need one. Asking for entrance is _so much_ faster.

When she stepped out of the elevator, the two cats are standing there, tails wiggling. She rubs their head affectionately and walks to her room to find a bigger bag, two fur balls trailing behind her.

After finding a shopping bag-what color? Black! She carefully scoop Church into the bag, petting his head as he grumbles in annoyance.

"I'm sorry Church. I can only hold one cat, and Chairman is evidently lighter and smaller than you." _Angry throaty grumbles._

With a smile, she gently lifts up the bag and scoop up Chairman Meow. She had decided to go to the nearby pet boutique-yes, a pet boutique.

It took her fifteen minute to get to the shop in a strolling speed. Chairman is constantly jumping at the honking and the noise of New York streets, and Julie is trying her best to hold him down.

When her phone tells her that the shop is nearby, she walks into a dark alley and smudges her glamour off and puts on another one to conceal her Marks.

A rush of cold air hits her face as she pull open the glass doors. There are several other cats in the store already, turning their bright eyes on them.

She puts Chairman Meow down, who immediately start sniffing a white-fur kitten, and quickly takes out Church as well.

When she's sure that they are both comfortable, she walks over to the clerk, a college guy with fair hair and green eyes reminding her of Gabriel's.

"Hey, how can I help you?" He smiles warmly at her, keeping his voice friendly and... flirty? She offers him a tiny smile.

"Hello. I was just wondering if you can show me some healthy cat diet?"

He nods and with a call to the back storage room, walk away from the counter. He's tall, about half a foot taker than her, and she cranes her neck slightly to look at him properly.

"I'm Michael, by the way." He offers her a hand, grinning ear to ear. She's gotten use to people looking at her this way, but she always turns them down by saying she's taken. Well, it's somehow true.

"Julie, delighted to make your acquaintance." With that, her New York accent slipped, and her Native English one took over.

"So what kind of cat food are you looking for?" He says as he leads her down one of the food aisle.

"Something healthy and tastes good. One of them is overweight, and the other needs to put on weight."

His smile dropped a little. "We do have that, but it's going to cost you."

She shrugs. "I have money, so does their owners."

After grabbing several bags of food, Michael carries the products to be checked out while she goes to get Chairman and Church.

Church is on his back again, waiting for someone to rub his belly; Chairman is hunched up in a corner, shivering slightly. She rolls her eyes and slowly pushes him out, laughing as he hisses at her angrily.

This time she puts both of them in the bag in order to hold the shopping bag. When she walks to the check-out counter, Michael's there, leaning on the counter, running his hand through his golden locks.

"Here are the foods, and your recipe and credit card is here." He taps on the table rhythmically, locking her eyes with his.

"Thanks a lot. It was nice meeting you anyway." With a wave,she walks out the door.

She carefully takes the receipt away from the credit card and tuck the card into her pocket. She glances briefly at the total price, barely paying attention.

What grabbed her attention was the series of number written at the bottom in black marker. A phone number. She grins, and tucks the receipt into her pocket as well.

She walked by a bookstore as she sets toward the Institute. It's already dark outside, and the stores are lit up like little lamps. Something grabbed her attention, something she hasn't notice before: a new edition of _A Tale of Two Cities._

She smiles. She doesn't love the book as much as Tessa and Will does, but she likes to collect every edition, every different kind of cover just to show off to Tessa.

She quickly got the copy and hurries back to the Institute. It's about seven o'clock now, and one, she's hungry, and two, she only have her whip and two daggers with her right now. She can't risk for a demon attack.

She's back to the Institute soon enough. She struggles to put her palm on the door, balancing the cat, their food, and the book. She quickly presses the elevator button, and while in the mechanic machine, releases both cats.

She found Isabelle cooking, terrorizing the kitchen. She dumps everything on the island, digging out the receipt.

"Hey Iz," She calls out, yelling out her name. "I got a cute boy's number. You want it?"

Izzy is looking at her doubtfully, and she tosses the piece of paper in front of her, checking out the "dinner" as the black hair girl read the receipt, patting her hair as she do so.

"Oh Julie-" _heavy sighing _"How much money did you spend on cat food?"

**It's just a little outtake. Not long, only around a thousand.**

**Anyway do all of you guys know that City of Bones got nominated as the best action movie in Teen's choice Award 2014? I'm voting everyday like a maniac :P**

**Anyway I hoped you guys enjoyed that! and Favorite/Follow/Review please!**

**See you guys next time!**

**xoxo,Flora**


	9. Chapter 6

**Hey!**

**So...**

**I'll be updating slowly now.**

**Why? Because I'M WORKING ON A NEW STORY!**

**Why? Because I'm a bit too lazy to reread CoFA and CoLs...**

**But now, ****enjoy!**

**Chapter 7**

After about an hour rolling around on her bed, reluctant to get up then procrastinating, taking a thorough shower and grabbing the first things she sees from her closet, which turn out to be light-washed jeans and an over size sweater, it's still only eight in the morning.

She gently nudges Chairman awake, who is still dozing on and off on her four-poster bed. He blinks his eyes sleepily, and turn back to sleep.

She roll her eyes as she laces up her boots, running a hand through her damp hair. She's _starving._ Last night Isabelle had almost blow up the kitchen. Again.

She was planning to bake some bacon for breakfast, but when she gets to the kitchen, Isabelle and Jace is already seated, Isabelle swinging her heeled feet, and Jace reading a book. _A Tale of Two Cities._

She exclaimed as she approaches. "You have been the last dream of my soul." She quotes dreamily, remembering Tessa's romantic copy.

He quirks an eyebrow. "I know, I get that a lot. However I'm not often refereed as the last one."

Julie frowns, but amused by his sarcastic manner, so much like Will's. "I'm old enough to be your grandmother." She wrinkles her nose. "Wait, no-Theresa's your-" She deepens her frown. "Never mind."

Isabelle stands up, tapping her heel impatiently. "I'm really hungry. While you two are arguing about books and grandmothers, I would like to go to Taki's."

"Taki's?" She asks.

"The best diner in the Tristate Area, preferably the entire nation." Jace says as he closes his book loudly, earning a glare from Julie.

"Careful with the book. You could've say that earlier. Now I have to go back to my room and grab a jacket."

"You have one right here." Jace picks up her army parka with two fingers. Julie notices that he has the Herondale hand. Thin and slim-fingered. Musician's hands, one like hers.

"Do you wear the same jacket for two days in a row?" Shaking her head, she snatches her parka from his fingers, and turns toward her room.

When she arrived at her destination, he took a look of her outfit in her full-body mirror. Her sweater is light green, ruling out of the possibility of a black coat. Sighing, she grabbed her fluffy white puffer jacket, curling a piece of hair around her index finger.

"The queen has arrived." Jace declares in his slight British accent.

"She has indeed. And that accent is not quite British."

"Not every one of us were born in the Great Land." He snorts, not wanting to admit she's better at something.

"All the Herondales since my time were born and raised in the London Institute." She says lightly, grabbing her phone off the counter.

"The diner, you were saying?"

O.o.o.O

As they walk through the New York streets, Isabelle's chattering nonstop about Alec and Magnus' world tour and how they send a postcard from Egypt this morning.

"I cant believe Alec actually said that! 'wish you were here, except not really'? And I thought he loved us!"

Julie yawns, turning her head to the left, to the art supplies shop next to them. Coincidentally, the windows reflect the three Shadowhunters under the sunlight, mirroring their every move.

Julie raises one of her eyebrows, noticing the obvious height difference. Jace noticed her sudden silence, and turns his fair head towards the direction she's looking at.

"Admiring my marvelous self in the mirror?" He says, flashing a grin at her in the mirror.

"Shut up. I was just noting the-" She motions to the top of her head and Izzy's glossy black one. "-difference"

The three of them had stop walking, all staring at the mirror. "My hair looks frizzy." Isabelle narrow her eyes menacingly at the mirror, as if it's a nasty demon.

"For the Angel just look at mine!" Julie exclaimed, motioning to her medium brown hair, obviously way puffier than Isabelle's black hair.

"Because they are _brown_." Izzy says, as if it's the dumbest thing she could ever say, and continuing walking.

After a few moments, Julie and Jace follows, the younger boy has a cheesy grin pastes to his face.

"What?" She grumbles, obviously annoyed.

"You're not short." He says, trying to put on a straight face.

"I didn't say I am. I'm just not relatively tall next to _you two_."

"Clary's tiny. VERY."

Julie smiles, picking up her pace to match Jace and Izzy's long legged strides "I will tell her that you are whispering behind her back."

Jace mock-panic. "You can't do that! She can put paint in my soup and murder me."

Julie roll her eyes. She realized she's doing it more than usual. "Fairchilds are being known by their petite frame anyway."

Isabelle had open the door to a dark-windowed restaurant, dropping a curt nod at the well-build man guarding the door.

_Ifrits._ Her mind immediately provide her a word to describe this species. She had always pities them-they have no power to make them extraordinary like warlocks, but their marks prevent them to become ordinary like humans. They are just like the awkward teenagers that never really get to grow up.

Unlike the unfriendly tinted exterior, the inside is warm and friendly, like an ordinary family friendly restaurant. Like Friday.

Clary is sitting at one of the booth, waving at them. Sitting beside her is a boy with messy brown hair, whose eyes of the same color light up like tiny lightbulbs when they landed on Isabelle.

She almost laughed. _Almost._

Isabelle slides in next to the brown-hair boy, placing a red-lipstick kiss on his cheek, which he sheepishly wiped away with a finger. Julie slowly walks in the booth opposite of theirs, followed by Jace.

She picks up the menu-all thought of an "ordinary family restaurant" suddenly vanishes, replaced by some raw-flesh. _Werewolves_, she thought, wincing.

She flipped the menu over, relieved to see ravioli and milkshakes. She decided to order coffee with pancake, then closed the menu.

Everyone else is done, and the vampire boy is studying her with mild interest.

"Whatcha looking at, Daylighter?" She asks, turning her bangle.

"You don't smell like Nephilim." He says, not taking his eyes away from her.

"Why, I smell more like darkness than sunlight?" She yawns, leaving her bangle along and slides her Carstairs family ring on and off her ring finger.

"How do you know what Shadowhunters smell like?" He asks, obviously owed.

She was about to reply "Because I'm a vampire" when a blonde waitress walks up to their table, swinging her hips slightly and shoot a flirtatious smile at both men, which they returned by averting their eyes.

"What can I get you today?" She says, her voice ringed with honey, like faeries.

"The usual." The three other Shadowhunters says, and the vampire boy got blood and coffee.

After she ordered her breakfast, the faerie took their menu, walking away loudly in her red heels.

She narrow her eyes and murmured: "Fey."

Jace smiles, "She's actually a sweet girl." He gives Clary a concerned look, but she's looking down at her fingers.

Suddenly Isabelle elbowed Simon, not softly, on his side. "How rude can you be? Introduce yourself."

He moves his hand up to the bridges of his nose, then drop it suddenly. Julie's guess is that he was near sighted before he turned. "Simon Lewis-game master, or better known as the Daylighter in the shadow world."

He looks at Izzy hopefully, asking her for approval, and smiles when she squeezed his hand.

Julie grinned. "Julie Carstair Townsend." She offered her left hand, which he shakes slowly.

Jace's amber eyes focused on her ring finger. "I didn't know the Iron Sisters make family rings for the female Shadowhunters."

She withdrew her hand from Simon's and taps her silver ring lovingly. "They don't."

"Then why-" She made an elaborate gesture in front of his hand, silencing him.

"Who's your blood sire?" She asks straight out at Simon.

Isabelle frowns. "I don't think that's an appropriate question to ask a vampire."

Julie just simply looks at her, and she silenced immediately. She turns her attention back to Simon, who look not bothered at all, but she can feel his nervousness and uncomfortableness.

"Raphael." He mutters, looking down at his water.

"You are a Daylighter because of Jace." This one isn't a question, but a simple statement.

Suddenly all four teenagers sprung to life, their voices overlapping one another.

"It isn't true-" "That's not why-" "How do you know-" "No-"

"Stop it. I'm not stupid, and I know a lot of things."

The waitress, unfortunately chosen this time to deliver their food. She only focus her attention on Simon, and he stares boldly back.

She stirs her coffee, adding a large amount of milk and sugar, then open her mouth again. "Clary's best friend?" nod.

"Isabelle's boyfriend?" hesitates and looks at Clary.

"Sort of." He muttered.

Julie is currently done with her "interrogation", and she picks up her knife in satisfaction.

After she is done with her first pancake, she turns to Jace. "How many questions did I ask?"

"Four." He says without looking up.

"Now, Simon, you can ask me five questions." She takes a sip of her coffee, and regards Simon with her eyes.

"Why five?" Clary asks.

"Because I can. Now do so before I change my mind."

"Race?"

She shoots him a weird glance. "Um, Nephilim?"

This time it's his turn to shoot her a weird glance. "I mean like ethnicity."

"That's a very…" She frowns.

"Mundane question." Jace finishes her sentence for her.

"Can't you just answer this question?"

"I'm biracial. Chinese-British."

"How old are you?"

"Sixteen and counting." She says it naturally. It's what she says to all the people who asked.

Three pairs of eyes turned onto her, screaming '_lies!'_, but he didn't ask if it's _physically_ or _literally_.

"Siblings?"

"An older brother." Now she's supporting her chin with her hands, eager for him finish the questioning so she can go back to her pancakes.

"Why are you in New York?" He asks quietly, sipping his blood.

"To see an old friend."

"Can't you please answer more specifically? You are giving me one-word answer."

Jace cut in. "Technically, 'to see an old friend' is five words, bloodsucker."

While Jace is answering for her, she stole another bite on her pancake, chewing slowly.

"Do you have a boyfriend?" He asks, his gaze not faltering at all.

She choked on her pancake, and reaches for her water.

"Simon!" Both Clary and Izzy exclaimed at the same time.

"Now how are you going to reply _without_ giving a one-word answer?"

She slaps him on the arm, not softly. "Shut up." Turning to Simon, she said: "Luckily, no."

"Why luckily?" His brown eyes twinkled with amusement.

"Because it's too much work and too complicated." She swallows her whole glass of water, and grabbed Jace's.

"Interrogation is over! Everyone finishes up the food!" Isabelle clap her hands twice, signaling everyone.

Julie noted how uncomfortable she looked.

**Chapter 6!**

**Yay by the way right now I'm addicting to the CoB game.**

**IT"S.**

**ADDICTING.**

**so until next time!**

**xoxo, Flora**


	10. Chapter 7

**So...**

**Hi! Long time no see!**

**20 days since my last update O.o**

**Sorry for the late update, I did my best to make this ****chapter exciting, and from now on the story follows the last three book of TMI series, okay?**

**Enjoy!**

**Chapter 8**

"Hello?"

The light pours through the Julie's hotel window in Upstate New York unpleasantly. She likes sleeping late and waking up later-blocking out nightmares with exhaustion-and the sad part of it is that you often forget to turn your phone off. Or even put the volume to the lowest. Now there's a phone call from New York City and her ringtone is blasting in her ear. Great.

"I need you at Beth Israel in forty-five minutes." The voice is smooth, calming, and surprisingly awake for so early in the morning. It seems a bit accented also. Familiar, but her brain is not really functioning properly right now.

"New York _City_? I'm upstate! Finger Lakes is very pretty by the way." She swings her feet off the bedside and into her fuzzy slippers, trudging towards the bathroom attached to her rented room.

"I don't care. You can create a Portal in less than ten. Jocelyn Fairchild is coming. You are require here."

"Why?"

"You will know when you get here. But_ first_ you have to get here."

"Don't make yourself sound like a blue-skin white-hair warlock I know that works in a mundane hospital." She groans against her phone as she unsuccessfully unscrew the cap of her toothpaste.

"There has been murder of Shadowhunters in Downworlder territories. A boy was also brought into the hospital. He died last night. But he's a baby-just left his mother's womb- _and_ one like you and Jocelyn's demon boy."

She drops her phone and tooth brush, too shock to do anything. After a few deep breath, she picks up both item at the same time, frowning at the toothpaste stain on the white tile from her toothbrush and Catarina's sound of impatience.

"I'll be there as soon as I can, but I _really_ needs to drop off my luggages at the Institute first."

"As soon as you can?" Catarina sounds like she's only asking for fun instead of purpose.

"I swear" She swallows hard, thinking of her little Catherine. "on my life."

"Oh, and Kitty?"

"Don't call me that." She sounds really annoyed now.

"You will need to explain to me how you got my number later, you creepy stalker."

Catarina ends the call without giving her a proper response.

O.o.o.O

Maryse Lightwood barely slept the previous night, but she doesn't feel extremely tired from the lack of sleep. She's pretty sure the exhaustion comes from the mess involving around the New York area, and Jocelyn's boy's sin.

She's sorting through the mails from Idris and the short letters from Robert when a loud thud sounds throughout the library, echoing painfully. Another thud follows, louder this time.

She grabs her _naginata _fromthe table, pointing the end at the European demonic studies section. She is incredulous to see someone familiar, even more incredulous when she sees the state she's in.

Julie Carstairs-Townsend-Maryse painfully admits-is one of the most well-put together woman she knows, with her glossy hair and the body that never gets fat or old. Her face is always free of wrinkles and dark-circles, and she always have more time in the morning to get ready than normal people, even her daughter.

But today's a different case. Her outfit just consisted a simple shirt and sweatpants. _Sweatpants_. Only the Angel knows when does Julie wears unflattering clothes.

"Julie." She can hear her own voice, edge with alarm and tremendously incredulous.

"Hello Maryse." The brown-hair Shadowhunter says, getting up with a supporting hand on her suitcase. "If you don't put down the _naginata_ right now, I will flash my whip. Or my throwing daggers." She adds the last sentence as an afterthought, looking thoughtful.

Maryse puts down her favorite weapon and regards Julie with thoughtful blue eyes. "Mind you tell me why you Portal into the library. Or why are you Portaling _at all_?"

She shrugs, and one side of her oversize shirt fell off her thin shoulders onto her upper arm.

"No one ever said I can't." She takes a deep breath and runs a hand through her medium-brown hair. "Look, I have something-somewhere really important to go to right now. We can all sit down and chat like we are best friends when I come back. And no, I don't have the time to tutor Clary."

She had noted her super psychic power, but it still surprises her every single time. "Well, then. It would be quiet convenient, however."

Julie roll her eyes and gathers all her hair in a hand, securing it with a hairband. "If this is all, then I really have to go. Warlocks are known for their impatience and grumpy faces."

Maryse didn't even ask what it means; she knows better. Just before Julie turns away, her eyes catch something on Maryse's desk. Piles of the, actually. The letters from Robert. They mainly consist of the updates about the New Council and asking how Isabelle is doing.

The letters are all about two paragraphs in Robert's sturdy and hard handwriting, but Maryse reads them over and over again, looking for hidden messages: his new affair, the thought about getting a divorce, or is he ever coming back to New York.

She looks away before Julie can give her sympathetic or piteous look. She isn't that open with her feelings; her whole life is alone and isolated from humanity. Until Valentine picked her up and she found Robert.

She always thought Robert as _the one_, the one that she will grow old with and sit outside together on the balcony of the Lightwood Manor in Idris, sharing a cup of tea while their grandchildren runs around happily.

It will never come true, not only the together part, but the grandchildren part. Isabelle is likely never going to have children. She hates ruining her body, and her current relationship with the vampire boy seems pretty serious. Alexander-is never going to have children _on his own_, and Max-

She snaps her head back to look at Julie, and sees her glaze steady and without a trace of emotion; cold, yes, but there's a flesh of uncertainty-just a moment before it's gone, masking behind the chocolate-brown wall of defense.

"Annamarie might be dead, but Robert's thought of ending it isn't." Her eyes are cloudy, like the moment before a thunderstorm. "People changes, Maryse. Besides, it's a Shadowhunters' thing-we love so fiercely. Sometimes too fiercely that it's hard to bend for our spouses."

With that she turns around and wheels her suitcase away, leaving only a faint scent of apple and lavender.

O.o.o.O

Once she exit the library and out of Maryse's sight, Julie punched the wall. Hard. Now she's officially on a mood swing today; from Cat's 'wake up call' to Robert's unfaithfulness and Maryse's sadness. She _ought_ to trace back to Cecy and Gabriel's family tree and see _what_ and _where_ went wrong with their method of teaching the term "commitment".

She can see the dark emotions in Maryse's eyes before she turns away: hurt, anger, desperation-like someone reaches inside you and squeezes your stomach tightly.

She still remembers her own experience with unfaithfulness, or at least misleading ideas, and it had cost her-

She shoves her room door roughly open, and suddenly there's not one, but two fluffy fur ball at her ankle, purring madly.

She left Chairman Meow and Church in Isabelle's care-not like they need it or anything, they just get their food by their self anyway-but as a concern sort-of owner, she just can't leave them unsupervised.

They look healthy and unscratched, which Julie is glad to see, but a bit lonely; the half-empty Institute can have that effect on all living creatures.

She fluffs their fur and scratches their chin before apologizing and grabs a few essentials, tossing them into her bag.

She takes out her stele, putting on a glamour rune. She is literally dragging her feet, and opening up the second Portals with three hours of sleep is a really bad idea.

She decides to take the subway.

O.o.o.O

Beth Israel is unpleasant; extremely mundane and uncomfortable. Every time she's in here, a wave of gratitude always washes her over yet again. Mundanes heel slowly and ugly, not able to do anything while their lives depending on a handful of doctors whose power are not nearly as powerful as one Silent Brother. Thanks, Raziel, for inventing an _iratze_.

She took a seat at the side entrance, waiting for Catarina. She was about to call out for Clary when she sees the redhead's facial expression. Panic. Jocelyn probably ran out on her and Catarina.

Catarina came up a moment later after Clary. Normally, she can easily tell the warlock by her blue skin and white hair, but today her eyes are sore, and she's depending on the flick of glimmer surrounding her.

"Nice getup. Very friendly." She stands up as Catarina approaches, bending a finger at her. _Follow me_.

She leads her to a row of elevator that she just saw Clary came through, grabbing her by the arm, Catarina pulls her into the first elevator that's empty and available.

She slumps against one of the metal wall of the elevator, looking at Catarina warily as she presses some button with magic.

"That's public property vandalism, you know." She yawns behind her hand.

"I got no other option." The elevator starts moving slowly, pulling them downward. She glances at Julie, narrowing her eyes.

"You look horrible." Was all she said.

"Thanks, that coming from a woman who woke me up at early morning." She roll her eyes with effort.

"Why can't you just tell me what does the baby looks like? Like thorough description." Catarina's glamour is zooming on and off in front of her eyes, ad believe her, a dark-skin woman with white hair looks rather strange.

"I thought you would like to see it by yourself."

Julie sighs heavily. "You're right. Yet again. But believe me you _do not_ look like a superstar either."

Catarina looks like she's about to ask another question when the metal doors screeches open, opening up to a dimly lit hallway with many doors; she simply leads her to the door with block letter that says _morgue _on it_._

"Clarissa Morgenstern is a piece of work." She says, amusement ringing her tone.

"Not all young ladies are raised the way we were, Cat. Just look at Lucie."

Catarina chuckles under her breath, and pushes the door open roughly.

It's _freezing_ inside, and Julie just realizes she's only wearing a thin t-shirt in this weather. She really wasn't paying attention at all.

She follows Catarina to one of the metal box that contains… well, dead bodies, and peers inside as she lifts the cover.

Claws, gray skin, and _by the Angel_-dark endless tunnels where the eyes were supposed to be: like the fey's eyes, but entirely black.

She sucks in a breath. Was this what she looked like when she was born? Was she this horrifying? But no, her eyes are the same as her brother's-dark brown but not enough to be black-fleck with gold and bronze.

"Breath." Catarina orders, the same tone teachers use to scowl little pre-school children.

She obeys, and takes in a few other sharp breaths, releasing the pressure from her lungs.

"God, is this how demonic children all looks like? Because I think Jocelyn ran off because of this."

Catarina nods. "She did, and she said Jonathan looked like this too."

A few pieces of puzzle start fitting in together. "But I'm not like them," she says under her breath, more to herself than to Cat.

"That's why I called you here. To see the babe of course; but of something I discovered."

"Thanks a lot. He doesn't look like Catherine, and I don't know about Jocelyn, but-I think this is pretty mess up."

Catarina nods and sets off toward the entrance. She didn't even wait for Julie, she just starts talking.

"I was told that Jonathan Morgenstern had black eyes-not a single hint of brown or any other color. I was told by everyone that you are a mockery, a revenge for the Carstair family. Yanluo made your mother drank its blood-knowing she was pregnant with you."

Julie can't stand it and interrupts before she can continue. "Very maternal of it."

Catarina looks at her with disdain. "It's not my point."

"The point is I'm not a demonic child?" She finishes for her.

"I really don't know. You are immortal and possess warlock magic. We don't know if Jonathan or the infant boy does either of those two since they're dead."

Julie's head is throbbing terribly as she sits along the wall of the hallway. "The _yin fen_."

Catarina raises one of her smooth eyebrow, her face illuminate by the light of the hallway. "What about it?"

"I always thought it was only for Jem, but then I realized that somehow _I _also depends on it. Not on the daily doze, but as an emergency pill. Like this amazing cure that works all the time."

"So you're saying you were drugged when you were in the womb."

She nods. "I don't know what really happen when Yanluo attacked the Institute-no one can tell me. In fact, no one _knows_."

Catarina shrugs her shoulder nonchantely. "Maybe your brother knows."

"He was drugged the most remember? Yanluo tortured him to get to my parents. God I bet it was awful."

"Maybe she did something to you. Like those demon fathers that want to make warlock children as a trophy, almost."

"Boost their social statues huh?" She snorts with cold humor, wanting to hurt something terribly.

"Valentine used Lilith's blood and asked for her blessing-maybe Yanluo was doing the same, wanting to have this new experiment, I bet."

"I don't know, Cat. I really don't." She buries her face in her hand, feeling the reality start sinking in.

"I know. I don't either."

O.o.o.O

She tags along Catarina a while longer as she works, and learning a few tricks, arguing that she has a doctorate in medical study, which Catarina told her is _study_, not doing.

After realizing it's true and psychology and pediatrics doesn't help at all, she took the subway back to the Institute, swearing to make herself a cup of coffee when she gets there.

She's going through the cabinet to find a mug when the elevator screeches to a stop and the sound of heels clicks loudly and echoes.

She sticks her head out, seeing Isabelle in a silver dress and her porcelain face mess with makeup; blood red lipstick smudges, and the running of mascara proves that she had been crying. Her raven-black is tumbles down her back, messier than ever.

When she sees Julie, she glances at the stainless countertop and wipes her face with the back of her hand. "God, I look horrible _and_ vulnerable." She spits out the _vulnerable_ part like it disgusts her.

Julie almost smiles. "That makes two of us. Coffee coming right up. Go to your room."

Isabelle nods her head slightly, and sets off toward her room, and the sign of her previous presence can only be told by her cupcake scent and the sound of her heels.

**Good, bad?**

**please let me know!**

**I promise the next chapter will come ASAP.**

**Until next time!**

**-xoxo, Flora**


	11. Chapter 8

**Hi!**

**See? The next chapter came pretty quickly, right?**

**It's long, over 4000 words. Yay for the new record**

**I hope you guys like it!**

**Chapter 8**

Isabelle stares up at the dark ceiling of her room blankly, waiting for Julie to come. The only source of light in her room is the pale glow of her witch light, and the darkness of her room is quiet comforting; she doesn't know what to feel anymore, and it feels strange not to feel anything at all.

She was never truly committed to a relationship, but well, knowing that the one she's currently dating is dating someone else, someone she _knows_-feels horrible.

There's two short knocks on the door, telling Julie's arrival. A second later, she flicks on the light and her brown head sticks out behind the door. She kicks the door to Isabelle's room open, two cups of steaming coffee in her hands.

"A large amount of syrup, sugar, and milk. With lots more of love." She says warily, her eyes tired. "Let me guess. You found out Simon is dating two girl at once?"

Isabelle can feel herself tense up. "You _knew_?" Anger bubbles in her throat , threatening to boil over.

Julie looks unfazed and sips her coffee. "Nope, just instinct kicks out."

While Isabelle doubts that she looks convinced, she sighs. "Super warlock power okay? Now why don't you tell me about what really happened."

Isabelle finds herself launched into explaining everything from the beginning: after the Mortal War, they start going out and everything seems nice and sweet. Until she and Maia both shows up at the same gig and found out he's dating both of them at the same time; how Maia thrown herself on top of Simon's roommate and almost killed him.

She's breathing heavily when she finishes, and Julie only looks mildly amused.

"So?" Isabelle says irritably, wanting more reaction for this dramatic period of her relationship; but all she did was shaking her head and smiles, showing the dimple on her left side cheek that Isabelle had never noticed before.

"He's a teenage boy, I mean, what can you expect out of him." She stirs her coffee slowly, looking thoughtful all of the sudden.

"I don't know. Aren't I supposed to find a man that's as nice and faithful as your husband?"

She blinks her wide brown eyes in surprise. Isabelle feels even more surprise; isn't she the one that still stays so faithful to him even after he died?

But all Julie said is: "Do you have a mirror nearby? A big one?"

Isabelle cocks her head to one side and thinks. "The biggest one is in the bathroom. Why? Isn't it a bit late for you to fix your makeup now?"

She furrows her brows. "I barely wear makeup. I'm going for the 'girl-next-door' vibe." She motions for her to follow her into the bathroom, and she feels momentarily confuse.

The bathroom is fairly small, and Julie taps the glass as if testing for its limit and nods in approval. Isabelle makes a sound of protest as golden flames springs alive from her fingertips.

She shoots the cloud of golden magic towards the mirror, and Isabelle squeezes her eyes shut and waits for the sound of broken glass. God, she likes that mirror, even if it's the same throughout the Institute.

But she didn't get it.

After several moments of silence, her eyes are open again, and sees a building in the reflection of the mirror. Her history lessons with Hodge finally payed off; it's the Church of All-Hallows-The-Less, also known in the Shadow world as the London Institute.

There are carriages around the front door, and the sky were drifting with white snowflakes. The famous Christmas Party in the London Institute.

"That's the Christmas Party of 1886; I was 14 at the time."

In the whirls of colors of people, Julie zooms in her young self. God she still looks the same; taller and curvier perhaps, but no changes at all in her beaming expression.

"Angel, you looks the same."

"Thanks. It's a curse actually. I can't even go to clubs; they claim that I'm fifteen. Anyway, _that's_ Connor Townsend."

The mirror shifts, like the ripples of a pond, and Isabelle finds herself gaze in a young man's unbelievably green eyes. Not the green of the Fairchilds, but something else; like the grass in spring. Pretty and fresh.

She is awaken by the low chuckle next to her; and sees Julie looks at her with amusement in her eyes, if she's anger by Isabelle adoring her dead husband, she doesn't show it.

"That's the first time I ever saw him. Then he became like a pest; he stuck around in my life for over half a decade." She does't sound like she mind the pest, however, her tone is nostalgic.

"When Shadowhunters reaches eighteen, they expand their horizon by going around the world to the different Institute. Connor's first stop was the Florence Institute, where his cousins were running the Institute; then bam, he's in the London Institute once I turned fifteen."

Scenery changes, and she sees people seating at the dining table, a tall man in a top hat standing, offering his hand for shaking and kissing the women's hands. All of them seems older than Julie by at least a decade, and there are several children as well.

They all looked adored by this charming young man, and when he takes off his hat, Isabelle sees a head of wavy golden locks. Very pretty for a man.

Only Julie looked annoyed.

"Why was your face scrunched up like that?"

"Shh. You'll find out."

Next thing she sees is Julie in front of the piano, playing as if her life depends on it. Isabelle is amaze when she can hear the music. Much like the one Jace plays.

Suddenly, the nineteenth-century Julie looks up, her eyes alert, and her guard still didn't drop when she identifies the intruder as Connor; instead, they harden like brown chips.

Their conversation is clear in Isabelle's ears, and when she looks at Julie, her lips are thinned and pinch together.

"Julie." He says, his tone not quiet English, but something else.

"Call me Ms. Carstairs. You might fool the Lightwoods and the Herondales with your pretty smile, but I won't be fooled." With that, she slides the cover of the piano on, her mood obviously ruined.

_The Lightwoods and the Herondales? _Isabelle thinks, her eyes widen in surprise. She was about to ask Julie what does it mean when Connor replies.

"You think my smile's pretty, so I think that's a start." This smile is not as arrogant, but a bit shy.

All Julie did was gather her music sheets in a pile and stalked past him in a hurry, sending a few strands of her hair flying.

Connor caught her wrist, forcing her to stop and look at him. Green eyes meet brown one, and Isabelle feels like she's witnessing something amazing happening, but obviously the young Julie were just irritated by it.

She held her chin up and regards the man who's half a foot taller as he talks. "I'm sorry for what happen at the Christmas Party. I wasn't thinking, especially for someone as young as you."

Suddenly, like someone lighted a fire in Julie's eyes, she jerks her wrist out of Connor's grasp, eyes narrowing.

"First kiss for a young lady is supposed to be special, not just taken for someone as their amusement. Especially not someone who had fooled around with half of the eligible bachelorette in the European continent."

Connor actually looks despaired, and he half shouts as the doors slammed shut. "I would still want you if you _weren't_ eligible and European."

Isabelle sucks in a breath. "He _kissed_ you?"

Julie nods, lifting her coffee cup and realize there are no more, and puts down the ceramic cup in frustration. "I'm going to make another one. Want?"

Isabelle shakes her head and turns her attention back to the mirror, still amaze by this magic.

The following one are fragments, mainly consists of Connor trying to follow Julie around while she shots him poisonous glares. But the adults of the Institute all seem to agree that she's better having companion accompanying her while she shops, and Connor was just more than happy to do that.

When Julie comes back, Isabelle's looking at a scene where Connor studies a sleeping Julie. His eyes are soft and vulnerable-is this what people looks like when they're in love? Maybe it's not so bad after all.

Julie sticks her tongue out, touching the mirror. "Blah, this part is boring and if you want to watch them all, you will have to sleep in the bathroom."

Now the weather looked colder, more autumn like, and Julie's maid was brushing her hair, preparing her for bed when a knock sounds on the door and Julie groans in exasperation.

She eventually opens a door to a smiling Connor who's holding something behind his back secretly.

"Remember when we went to the shop and saw the book _Le Chemin de France? _And how you want it so badly?"

Julie nods, her face a blank page. But her eyes widen in delight as he holds out the book proudly.

"First edition. I thought you will like it."

Julie moved her hand across as if she can't help it, but jerk it back and shakes her head violently.

"I can't accept it. After all the way I treated you-" Her eyes soften, but Isabelle never gets to know what she was about to say.

Everything flashes quickly, and the maid behind Julie changes, its body shifts awkwardly, forming claws. Connor's too concentrates on Julie's face to notice anything, and Julie's back is to her-

The razor sharp tips plunge forward into her stomach and she crumples forward, falling onto Connor.

He catches her before she can make contact with the floor. Taking a dagger out of his boot, he shoot at the demon who used to be a maid, where it hits the throat precisely.

The demon explodes into ichor, and Connor sits down quickly, putting Julie's head into his lap, drawing out his stele.

At first Isabelle thought Julie was crying, but when she focuses on her face, she's actually laughing, her body shakes slightly.

"Something funny that I didn't catch?" Connor asks as he draws an _iratze_ on her hand, the closest he can get to the wound.

"Ironic, rather. I did all I could the past two month avoiding and hating you, now-" She motions to her self and the blood that is leaking onto her pale blue dress. "-I'm dying in your arms."

Connor looks very sick. "No, you are _not_ dying. I won't let that happen." He picks up her body with ease and walks down the hall in an incredibly fast stride.

"Will, Tessa-"

The next few minutes flashes by with speed, slowing down when something exciting happened.

Through the flashes, people comes and goes; Silent Brothers healed and checked; but there are a few notable people that stayed longer than others. The woman with inky black hair and sapphire eyes that she saw earlier at the dining table with a little girl that she assume is her daughter; a pretty girl with her younger sister who start crying the moment she sees Julie lying on the bed, motionless; and the brown hair woman who's pregnant.

They appear more often than others, and once the Consul even visited her. Isabelle sighs when she sees that she has two more children with her.

But Connor was always there, in the wooden chair beside her bed, reading the book that he got her softly in French.

"My god, were all the people that lived in the Institute _pregnant_? I don't understand how can you stand so many children."

Julie crook her fingers and counts. "Tessa had two, but she was pregnant with one, Cecy had Anna already and Chris in her belly and Alex to come; Sophie had Barbara, Eugenia and Thomas; Charlotte's Charles and Matthew visited me, and then there's Cordy and Alastair." She looks thoughtful. "Which means at the most were sixteen children under the same roof… Maybe Jesse and Grace were there too-"

Isabelle just shakes her head and turns back to the mirror.

She goes further into when Consul Fairchild visited.

Connor stumbles out of his chair as a sandy-color hair man leads a petite woman into the room.

"Consul Fairchild." He says, his eyes serious and respectful.

"Hello." The woman smiles as her two children, one blond and one redhead goes around the bed, studying Julie curiously.

The older one, the redhead, grimaces sadly. "She promised to tell me how American politics work the next time I get here. She said she's teach me some astrology too."

The tall man behind the Consul frowns and scolds his son. "Charles, she was _attacked_."

Consul Fairchild puts her hand on his arm and he physically relaxes.

Isabelle asks without turning around. "Why are you showing this to me? To tell the world that the first female Consul visited you while you were unconscious?"

Julie sighs and puts her coffee cup, which is empty yet again, on her vanity. "No; I was just reviewing how adorable that little cherub is."

Isabelle assumed it's the blonde one she's talking about. "Why did she visiting you anyway, it's not like she visits every single one that got attacked by a demon, right?"

"She's still my guardian somehow; she ran the Institute before my brother's _parabatai_ takes over."

It's just in time for Julie to finishes her sentence when the younger boy bursts into a series of tears. "You said you were going to play a song for me and takes me to picnic; you didn't say you were going to _die_."

He was sobbing unsteadily when Isabelle notices the bag of candy in his hand. Chocolates. Plenty of them.

Consul Fairchild lifts up her son lightly and start petting his head, looking sad as well.

"What did the Silent Brother said?" She asks, her tone all business.

"That there are no danger of death but she will takes her time with the recovery."

With the words _no danger of death _the blonde kid stops crying.

Time zooms by yet again as the sandy-hair man that led the Consul into Julie's room and the black-hair blue-eyes man who looks startling like Alec stands inside the library with a Silent Brother, talking.

"The investigation leads to the conclusion that a demon possessed Zoe and then killed her from inside." The sandy-hair man says, his brows scrunched up together.

_The Silent Brothers assume that some demon are trying to kill Julie; she is a work of supernatural and unfairness. They want to destroy her. _The Silent Brother, Isabelle notices surprisingly, is Brother Zachariah.

All three men fall silent, and the blue-eye one spoke next. "The part that she got hit-it's not below the hip bone, is it?"

_It's mainly concentrated on the abdomen area, there are no other harm done._

Everyone excepts Brother Zachariah let out a sound of relief. The sandy-haired one spoke first. "A child is all she ever wanted." He says thoughtfully, sounding like a father.

The blue eye one spoken next, his tone amused and sarcastic at the same time. "And I bet our guest want her child to be _his_."

From the dimly lit bathroom Isabelle can still see the heat climbing up Julie's cheek. "Okay this is getting awkward and boring." She puts her finger on the surface and watch it ripples.

They are in Julie's bedroom again, and that's when Isabelle sees Julie's eyelids flutter open.

The reading stops and Connor stands up with effort. He was evidentially in that chair for a long time.

"_Chéri_?" He asks, coming to her bed.

"Connor?" She asks, blinking feverishly. "I'm not your darling." She says, but reaching her hand across the comforter to grab his. He held her fragile hand tightly.

"How long was I out?" She asks, trying to concentrate on Connor's handsome features.

"Roughly six days." He says, grinning ear to ear and leans down to place a kiss on her lips.

They both froze the minute their lips touched. Connor jerks back violently, his face paling.

"I didn't mean to-" He begins, but Julie puts a hand over his mouth to silence him.

"I don't mind."

Now Connor looks even more surprised. "What changed? I mean, like why-"

But all Julie did was smile. "After the Christmas Party last year, I went around and try kissing other guys. I was looking for the look you gave me when it happened-I… didn't find what I was looking for. I found it. Right here all along."

She puts her hand on Connor's cheek lightly, tracing the high-arch of his cheekbone.

When he spoke, his voice is coarse.

"What look?"

"Like I'm the piece of puzzle you've been looking for your whole life."

O.o.o.O

Isabelle throw her arms up. "That was just very cheesy."

Julie gathers her cup from the vanity and walks out of the bathroom.

"Look, I really appreciate you showing me how wonderful your love life is compare to my messed up one, but I still don't get why you showed me that."

"I was just building up tension and character. And I was too tired to tell you by myself. _Now_ I'm going to tell you the part that concerns you."

"One question first. Did I just see my great-great-grandmother?"

"That," Julie says, pointing her finger, "is something that even I need to look up. But Anna isn't your ancestor. I don't really know if it's Christopher or Alexander. But I'm betting on Alexander." She says thoughtfully.

"Before I get more confuse with the strange names, please just get to the point."

Julie takes a deep breath and sets down her mug on her nightstand. "The point is how I lost my first child."

O.o.o.O

After my recovery, I was washed with everyone's tears and happiness. Remember that bag of chocolate that the little boy had? It was for me. The woman who ran the Institute _despise_ chocolate. You should've had seen me and Cecy feeding the chocolate to the kids, but I snuck half a dozen to my room first.

Anyway it was September at the time. I decided to give Connor a chance. We went shopping, playing in the snow, and cuddles on the sofa while reading. I realized that I'm falling in love with him. Don't say that's cheesy too.

As the weather gets warmer and the children of the Institute increases, we spends more time together, watching the kids. I could tell that we both want children.

He proposed on my birthday. God he _wrecked_ the whole birthday party. But I got the most amazing gift I ever received: a ring, a bangle, and a promise of faithfulness.

My birthday's in July, and we set the wedding in September. The adults of the Institute fought madly for over a week. Gabriel, Cecy and Will argued that I'm too young, but then I pointed out Will and Tessa's wedding is set after Will turns eighteen, and Connor is well over the age.

They didn't listen, and I had to pull out the ultimatum-the later we get married, the less time we have together. He will age while I stay the same. So in another way, we are racing for time.

Surprisingly, Will gave in first and convinced Gabriel and Cecily. The wedding planning goes on, gowns were chosen, stele boy were picked. I still remember Charles and Thomas refusing to talk to me for a week. They gave in when I promise them to take them go riding ponies, something their mother wouldn't allow.

I thought things couldn't be more perfect. But it did get even better. I got pregnant. I found out on a bitter January night, in our own house across the street from the Institute.

Connor basically treated me like a porcelain doll. I don't mind, really, I just want the best for my little girl. We named her Catherine January. It's the most beautiful thing that had ever happen to me.

March Gabriel knocked on the door of my house. Everyone visits me regularly, but I was quiet surprise that day because they have a Clave meeting earlier which Charlotte won't let me attend. He came back earlier than others to tell me something.

He always thought Connor looks familiar, and the impression leads to the time he visited Paris Institute. It turns out he was dating a Sighted mundane, who was brokenhearted when Connor left her. They found her on the front porch one day, claiming that her child is a Shadowhunter. He was still in her womb at the time. A couple months older than Catherine, perhaps. Charlotte told him that much.

The realization hits me hard, and I ask Gabriel to wait, for that I might be packing to go back to the Institute any minute.

He came back, joyfully. I asked him to come upstairs with me and we have something important to talk about. I asked him about the girl, Dina. He swore that he broke up with her after the Christmas Party. Then I told him about the boy and he said nothing.

The Townsend house is three story tall, and our bedroom are on the second floor, with marble stairs leading onto the first. I was so angry and I forgot it just got waxed.

I fell down the whole flight of stairs, scaring both Connor and Gabriel. Gabriel told me later on that he found the two of us on the bottom of the staircase, me unconscious and Connor swearing in French.

Gabriel took me to the Institute, leaving Connor calling the Silent City. I bet he was furious with him. Gabriel is scary sometimes.

This time I wasn't so lucky. I stayed in bed about three weeks. They were almost certain I am going this time. Oh and, Connor wasn't allowed in the Institute.

When I woke up, there was a baby lying in a cradle next to my bed. She was so still, not like the newborn I seen-like Lucie or Christopher. Cecy told me she was a stillborn.

I cried for so long and so hard. She looks so much like me-soft brown hair and a tiny nose. But now we will never know if her eyes are the same chocolate color.

Will and Gideon got my stuff for me from Connor's house. Gideon came back with a ring-my Carstair ring. I don't know how he got it, he just gave it to me. I taken down anything Connor gave to me, and puts them inside my dresser. I hate him for killing our child, but I still love him. Loved the man who promised me everything and shatter them.

They allow me to grief. They didn't know what to do. I grew up being the six adult's little sister and princess. They were so worried that I'm thinking about taking my own life.

So I spend my day in the music room, playing the instruments and putting the kids to sleep. They got so emotionally attached to me that I clear my head from thinking anything about suicide.

Then came the news about the woman and his child that ruin our marriage. Charlotte wrote a letter, asking if we want to be there when the they test if the child is a Shadowhunter. If yes, Connor will be raising him. I said yes, and they agree to go with me. All of them except for Tessa, who needs to watch the little ones.

We got to the Paris Institute, and I was nearly killed by Dina. Charlotte says that she's mentally ill but still remembers me, sadly, from Connor's descriptions. Pretty funny isn't it.

The child wasn't a Shadowhunter. A pure mundane. I still remember Sophie squeezing me so tight. I was so numb that Gideon had to break down everything to me. I only heard one sentence: the child is not Connor's.

I visit my old house before dinner. Connor was drinking when I got there. Everything was a mess. He was already half-asleep with the power of alcohol. I didn't sleep that night, just cleaning and thinking about our future.

Near dawn I found Connor's jacket. The one I said suited him really well. I found a ring in the breast pocket. It's a two stones ring-ruby and diamond entwined together by gold. My birthstone and his.

I started crying. I hate crying, but it seems like the only thing I can do. It woke Connor, and he's so alert that he starts to search the house, afraid that there's demons. He was quiet surprise when he found me.

He sat down on the floor next to me and ask me if I am here to ask him for the signature for our divorce. He looked so… empty that I start crying again.

I told him Catherine's dead and he nods, saying that Gideon told him. He told me he told Gideon to give me the Carstair ring. You see, I'm a feminist, and I always found it unfair that the female Shadowhunters don't have the family rings, so that's what he wanted to give me when Catherine's born. And the two color ring is supposed to be our anniversary gift. He wants me to alway remember him, the man who loved me above all others.

I couldn't say anything-I was crying too hard. Slowly, he enfolds me into his arms, and saying he's sorry again and again. He said it's okay if I want to cut things lose and he will give me his blessing. Or that we can start things over.

I don't have to tell you which one I chose, right?

O.o.o.O

Isabelle is so speechless when she finishes. All Julie does was gather their empty coffee mug and says goodnight.

When she opens the door to go out, Isabelle stopped her. "Julie?" She asks, uncertain if she'd heard her.

"Yes?" She turns around and Isabelle is surprise to see her eyes dry.

"After that… Did you… Have more children?"

She grins. "I had four to be exact." Then she disappears from her eyesight.

Isabelle always thought Jace and Julie are alike. They don't let their emotion leaks through the cover of their protective forces.

She thought Jace hides his feeling because of the possibility aheads. He doesn't want to get hurt.

Then tonight she realizes why Julie's this way. She cared too much once that she decided there's no need to show her feelings anymore.

The sleep came easy, almost too easy. Her last thought before falling asleep was wondering if she will ever find someone like Julie did.

O.o.o.O

Julie's phone is turned off, but Isabelle's isn't. Her ringtone is really loud. She listens carefully for who's she talking to.

"-you're a cheating, lying, two-timing son of a-"

She smiles at Church. She likes the fire in this girl.

***wipe sweat***

**I'm really proud of this chapter tbh.**

**Review, Favorite, and Follow!**

**See you guys next time!**

**-xoxo, Julie**


	12. Chapter 9

**Hai!**

**So it's back to school time! Excited? Happy? Nervous?**

**I dunno. **

**Well anyway happy reading!**

**Chapter 9**

Isabelle left a while ago, and now the Institute is empty. Or so Julie thought.

She is loving the Institute's coffee machine when a group of Shadowhunters enters the kitchen, leads by Maryse.

She's actually really surprise, but she makes sure her face is still the same amuse expression.

"Inviting friends over for breakfast?" She asks, sipping her coffee.

"Conclave meeting. We're going to capture Camille Belcourt." Maryse's wearing gear, and her hair up high.

"Whoa, interesting. I had been _dying_ to meet her." She whirls her coffee cup slowly, leaning her elbow on the stainless counter. "Need a hand?"

Maryse actually looks like she's considering the option. "Humph, no. It will take you forever to get dressed. You can stay in the Sanctuary if you want to."

Julie smiles slowly. Finally she's going to meet this infamous vampire that only a few people she knows met; and the one that were the original owner of Cecy's necklace.

"I'll be there." She yells after her, and feeling Maryse's annoyance crashes on her like waves of emotion.

O.o.o.O

She's literally bouncing off the walls all the way to the Sanctuary. She's finally meeting the Camille Belcourt, a controversial character in the life of the inhabitant of the London Institute at the late nineteenth century.

She's there before anyone with her coffee. Barely anyone uses the Sanctuary in London, and she's quiet foreign in this part of the Institute.

The Conclave actually came back pretty quickly, and they tied her on a pillar. It actually looks pretty movie-like, only that she is the villain. Simon and Jace's there too, among the cloud of adult Shadowhunters, looking sick and bored, respectively.

At the cold stage of waiting for Magnus, she went upstairs pretty quickly to grab her phone. Found four new text messages from Magnus.

_Not fair! He didn't take me to Austria! _She thinks angrily, feeling all eyes on her, realizing that she had spoken her thought out loud. She was doing no effort of concealing herself, but now it seems like that it would fail even if she tried.

She sticks her tongue at them, thinking of a trip to Vienna. It's not like she visited that place four times.

Simon and Jace noticed her too, their expression surprised by her arrival. They probably thought she's still off somewhere in Antarctica.

She shoves her phone deep into her pocket, listening the buzz of voices around her, mostly about what Camille would want to do with Magnus. She grins. That's when Jace ran out. Something about a Hydra Demon and Clary.

Maryse notices her Cheshire Cat smile and directs her attention on her. "Now is the time to make yourself useful, young lady. Inform us." Her tone is so demanding that it annoys her.

"I'm older than you remember? And no, everyone met her except for me." She says and realizing all the attentions in the room is on her yet again. Not that she wants them to look away.

Hearing her voice, Camille looks up with effort. "The Yanluo Girl. I heard a lot about you."

She wiggles her finger as a _hi _but says nothing. She's stunning, with silvery-blonde hair. No wonder why Magnus was in a relationship with her.

Maryse frowns, ignoring Camille completely. "Magnus had never mention his relationship with Camille Belcourt? Or any encounter that's memorable?"

She smiles and shakes her head, telling the world that she's lying. It's not her story to tell.

Maryse narrow her blue eyes at her. "As the head of the Institute, I demand your answer immediately."

"I'm protected by the Law. Believe me; you can't chain me on a pillar with bless metal. I can easily escape and knock every single one of the Nephilim in the room out." She made sure she didn't say everyone, since of Simon's Mark of Cain.

Maryse looks rather annoyed and calls the Conclave into the Institute. Everyone left except for Simon and the guards.

After their conversation about Simon befriending Shadowhunters, Magnus came in with Alec and his mother, wearing a black suit and avoiding glitters.

"Here comes the warlock who didn't bring his friend to Vienna. The glitter decided to go rebellious too? Or are there just too many ghosts around?"

Magnus crooks the side of his mouth at her, finally noticing Camille and went business like again.

After explaining and Julie finally realized Alec's resemblance to Will, it was already too late to pull Alec out of the room. She winces and jogs up to Magnus. But it was too late. "Once upon a time she was my girlfriend."

"Vous démoniste idiot" She breaths, sucks in her breath. Realizing that Simon probably doesn't understand French, she tugs his sleeve forcefully. "My god you idiot."

"I'm getting out. Tell me when you finish talking to your ex and boyfriend. I want to know this woman who everyone met except for me." With that Julie stalks out of the room, feeling frustrated.

Okay, she didn't wait that long, since Alec stormed out a minute or two after her.

Jogging into the Sanctuary again, she was just in time for Magnus telling Simon about the importance of remembering his name. She walks up behind him and kicks him hard on the ankle. He winces.

"It's okay, Simon. I'll be there too. Magnus isn't that pretty to look at, really." She says, feeling bad for Alec.

Maryse walks back in again, this time she actually looks relief for Julie to conceal the truth beforehand. Then before she can register anything, she's out of the Sanctuary again, this time against her will.

O.o.o.O

Nothing apparently interesting to do, she went back her room and looks back into her personal projections. She had seen those clips plenty of times before, but they were nice memories, something she likes to remember.

She was viewing James and Cordy's wedding when a throbbing headache overcomes. She's certain that it's her head, as if something is terribly wrong.

She stands up, pacing. She's tempted to call Tessa, but maybe it's just like last time, when the ship sunk around England. It's very important, but not the one that concerns her immediately.

She thinks about taking the painkilling pill, the many bottles in her suitcases, but she is trying to quit the habit.

She just decides to sleep before Jocelyn and Luke's engagement party.

O.o.o.O

She overslept. God she barely had time to curl her hair. Who cares, it's not _her_ engagement party. But Ironwork is so far, in _Long Island_.

She decided on wearing a black tight dress with white lace, and stacks a bunch of daggers and throwing knifes into her boot. Who knows what will happen?

Ironwork is decorated prettily by _werewolves_. She is nicely surprised, since her opinion on them is not often associates with delicacy. She stumbles through the doors in a hurry, realizing she's too early. Luke and Jocelyn looks at her surprisingly.

"Why do you look so rushed to get here when you're an hour early?" Luke asks, gazing at her behind his glasses.

"I thought I was late. Time zone problem" She says, rearranging her curls. "Here," She drops a velvet box into Jocelyn's hand, smiling.

Jocelyn opens the box carefully, revealing two matching bangles: gold with emerald decorate on the thinner one, and sapphire on the bigger one.

Julie beams, explaining. "They match you two's eyes. I thought about getting rings, but I think you already got them."

Jocelyn smiles pleasantly. "Thank you. I love them. I'm sure Luke does too."

His eyes twinkle as he winks at her. "Thanks for not getting silver. Glad you remembered."

Julie's smile turned to a frown. "I hate the color silver."

Sensing the dramatic emotion shift, they promise each other to talk later, and Julie sets off toward their daughter, but stops when she sees the flicker of glamour around her. Faerie.

She stops dead in her track and decides to talk to her later. She grabs a glass of champaign and leans against a wall, surveying the crowd and the room. Quiet easy to escape if anything attacks, but hard to defend. Well, As soon as Jocelyn and Clary's out of the room, she and the werewolves can do it fairly well.

Now it's Jocelyn talking to Clary. She feels a wave of envy. She never met her mother, and as maternal as Charlotte can be, she's not her mother.

She glides through the floor towards Clary with her glass of champaign. "Mother daughter time?" She asks, startling the young Fairchild.

"You came!" She exclaims, grinning.

"Can't miss an engagement party plan by werewolves, can I?" She smiles, frowning as she feel Clary hiding something.

Feeling her disapproval, Clary tilts her head to one side. "What?" She asks.

"Planning to elope with Jace? You're dressed for the occasion too." She eyes her dress, a tight pale gold dress.

She blushes, something she can't hide with her pale skin. "No! I mean, I'm only sixteen."

Julie bursts out laughing. "God, you are the perfect daughter! My brothers would've-" Sighing, she stops. "never mind. They're dead."

Clary looks like her mind is on something else. "Do you know what a Herondale ring looks like?" She asks, her eyes sparkling.

"With birds. I think I have one in London. Anyway, were you talking to a fey?"

Before Clary can give her an answer, her throbbing headache came back again. "Excuse me."

Something's definitely happening. Something very bad.

O.o.o.O

When she came back from the chilly autumn air of outside, her table is already half-full. Clary, Magnus, the Lightwoods kids, Simon, and a werewolf are sitting there awkwardly.

Their conversation isn't exactly what she likes to hear and worsen her headache. Alec is being so childish that he reminds her of a young Cato fighting against his older brother for cupcakes, and Magnus is obviously exasperated.

She walks up to their table, putting her hands on Magnus' shoulder. He looks a bit startled. "Enough." She glares around the table, and they all avert their eyes.

"Stop being so immature."

She thought of what will Magnus go through when Alec pass away as he stalk off. Her hands on Magnus's shoulder tighten and he move his shoulders uncomfortably.

She mutters an apology and says to Magnus: "Tell our host thanks for their party, it was lovely, and if you twisted the largest gem on their bangle counterclockwise thrice, a poison needle will arise." Then she sets out towards the doors again, needing the air to replace the one lacking in her brain.

O.o.o.O

Alec is leading the pack of Simon's searching party as they exit the Ironwork party. He is still unhappy with Magnus, and it seems like he's hiding things from his past that he is unwilling to share with him.

Isabelle is still blubbering about how they exit the party without raising suspicion when a shadow fell upon them, blocking their way.

Weapons are drawn, and in the dim light, their opponent had raise its weapon as well, making it either a Downworlder, a Shadowhunter, or a Forsaken.

"I would advice you not to attack." The voice is smooth and cool, ringing with a bit annoyance. "Since the Daylighter is not here, I can harm all of you pretty effectively."

The speaker steps out of the shadow, barely making any sound. Curly hazelnut hair surrounding a delicate face with wide chocolate eyes. Julie, with her whip that she uses to defend herself when Alec first met her.

He lowers his seraph blade, and from the corner of his eyes he can see Isabelle doing the same, but the two werewolves behind them are still snarling.

She steps forward, her whip dangling around her lower arm. She grins when she sees Alec's startle expression. "Thought you were so clever, sneaking out of a party without anyone noticing?"

Alec is unable to say anything or lie, but Isabelle already done that for him. "Why are you blocking us?" With her heels, Isabelle is almost as tall as Alec, which means she towers over Julie, but for once in her life, Isabelle doesn't seem like the one in the upper hand.

All she does is blink her eyes slowly. "Well, let me think about it… Maybe the part where I know when more than three supernatural teenagers are together, nothing good is happening?"

They all look at each other, speechless. At last, it was the werewolf boy who spoke. "We are looking for Simon. He's my responsibility given by the Praetor Lupus."

"Fascinating. May I ask exactly _how_ did you lose him?"

Alec wants to high five her for that, for the werewolf boy look down at the floor in shame. "Dudes do not follow other dudes into the bathroom." Isabelle says, repeating the statement she said earlier.

"That can be countered." Julie says, whirling her whip slowly. "One time we were in-"

"Can we go now?" The werewolf girl says, complaining loudly. "This is just useless."

Julie sighs. "All right, seems like my presence is not so welcomed here. But now you will never know what." Then she reaches inside her knee-high boots that he swears Isabelle has also.

The werewolf boy whispers lowly. "She's not stripping, is she?" Not that he looks disgusted by the idea.

Quiet the opposite, actually. In her left hand already is daggers of several sizes. What surprise Alec is not the style of them nor the size, but the amount. Her boots are tight-fitted and clings to her leg. How can they fit inside it?

As she digs through her boots, she throws the daggers at the four of them, not even glancing up to make sure she didn't accidentally murders any of them.

When she seems satisfied with the number of daggers, each of them already has their own pair, with more for him and Isabelle. Just before Alec could thank her, she produces a seraph blade from no where.

He is pretty sure his mouth is hanging open when she hands the blade to Isabelle. "Magic with glamour." She says, barely casting a glance at Alec.

After checking all of their appearance like a concern mother, she nods in approval and steps aside. "The gate is open."

After all of them thank Julie, they continue setting toward their original goal. When the brown-hair Shadowhunter is out of sight, the werewolf girl asks in an admirable manner.

"Did you see the way-"

"Yes, Maia, we all did." Isabelle answers impatiently, examine one of the dagger with interest. "But can we talk about how pretty yet deadly this throwing knife is?"

The werewolf boy looks like he just woke up. "She's related to the warlock in some way right?"

Alec is the only one who said nothing.

**Good? Bad? Love it? Hate it?**

**Let me know!**

**Until next time!**

**xoxo, Flora**


End file.
